Not now, not ever First Precinct to stay put

      In a press release issued by Hempstead Town Supervisor Kate Murray and senior Councilman Anthony Santino (R-Baldwin), the two officials say that Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi is rescinding his proposal to move the precinct to Roosevelt.
      Suozzi's proposal, which he said was never imminent, was met with disdain from the Baldwin community. More than 2,500 residents signed petitions indicating they oppose the move.
      "We are united with Baldwin neighbors in the fight to preserve the character of this community," Murray said. "We join the forceful voice of 2,500 residents who say, 'not now, not ever' to the idea of moving the First Precinct Out of Baldwin."
      Santino added, "The First Precinct is a vital part of the Baldwin community and we are happy that the Nassau County administration is finally recognizing the will of the community."
      In September, more than 100 concerned citizens attended a rally at the Merrick Road police station to voice their objections to the removal and relocation of a well-established police presence from their community.
      The rally was sponsored by Santino and Nassau County Legislator Joseph Scannell (D-Baldwin). The rally, and the subsequent petition, came shortly after Suozzi targeted the precinct for relocation in his 2005 budget proposal. In the budget proposal, Suozzi outlined a plan to move the precinct from its current location to a building on Nassau Road in Roosevelt.
The First Precinct's jurisdiction stretches from its western boundary, Long Beach Road, to the Wantagh Parkway, and includes areas north of Sunrise Highway and south of Hempstead Turnpike. East Meadow, North Bellmore, Bellmore, Merrick, North Merrick, Roosevelt, Uniondale, Freeport and Baldwin are all within the precinct.
      A spokesperson for Suozzi confirmed that the precinct will not be moving. However, he said the Town of Hempstead has been using the issue as a means of political gain. He reiterated that there was never any formal proposal and that the town was making something out of nothing.
      "It's unfortunate that the town politicizes everything. It was never a proposal, it was an idea," he said. "After reviewing it, we decided not to go through with the idea.
      "Of course the town would like to take credit for it, but they had nothing to do with it."
      He also credited Scannell for his efforts and for working with Suozzi on a one-to-one, non-combative, basis.