Population: 115,000
Annual number of accidents: 3,500
Ambulance cases involving sick or injured people: 6,500
Number of crime reports: 30,000
Number of police officers assigned to the precinct: 138
Number of patrol cars: 21
Number of patrol cars in Merrick south of Merrick Road at any given time: 1
ITAL: Source: Arthur Thompson, 7th Precinct commanding officer. UNITAL
pt hed: Civic group takes on traffic safety
By Scott Brinton
Arthur Thompson, the 7th Police Precinct's commanding officer, knew his audience would be concerned about one issue after a recent crash in south Merrick that killed a fourth-grader and her great-grandmother -- traffic safety.
So, at last Thursday's South Merrick Community Civic Association meeting, Thompson wasted no time in addressing dangerous driving on the Merrick and Hewlett peninsulas, south of Merrick Road.
Immediately, the inspector noted that the 7th Precinct was issuing a number of recommendations to the Town of Hempstead in order to improve safety at the corner where 9-year-old Lisa Iburg and 88-year-old Concetta Mattera were killed, James Street and Beach Drive.
A. The town should place stop signs on Beach Drive at James Street. Currently, there are stop signs only on James. Beach Drive runs north-south and James east-west.
B. The town should make the stop signs at all four corners bigger and more reflective.
C. The town should improve the line of sight on Beach Drive by removing any obstructions on the roadside.
D. A traffic consulting firm should be hired to issue additional recommendations for the area.
The inspector said a number of people have requested speed bumps in south Merrick. According to state traffic code, however, bumps are not permitted on roads. "Every community wants speed bumps, but they can't be," he said.
The PTA at Levy-Lakeside Elementary School, where Iburg was a student, also recently held a letter-writing campaign, calling for additional stop signs on Beach Drive at James Street. Councilwoman Angie Cullin, a Republican of Freeport, said in a form letter that the request was submitted to the town's Traffic Control Division for review.
Thompson squelched two rumors that have floated around the community since the May 9 crash. According to the inspector, people have been saying that the 18-year-old driver who collided in his Acura with Iburg's and Mattera's mini-van was drag-racing, and that the teenager was in a prior accident that night. The inspector said there is no evidence to suggest either rumor is true.
Thompson said the 7th Precinct has identified south Merrick as a "traffic concern" and has "brought increased enforcement to the entire area." The inspector, though, noted that enforcement is the least effective means of traffic control. Education is best, but he said that driver's education programs have been reduced in recent years. The second most effective method of controlling traffic is "engineering," Thompson said. Stop signs, for example, can be used to slow drivers.
Joe Baker, the South Merrick Community Civic Association president, wondered what people could do to assist police in traffic enforcement. Most important, Thompson said, residents themselves should obey traffic laws. "On the road, you have to be careful," he said.
The inspector also said that it's hard for residents to help with enforcement because a police officer must witness an infraction to issue a ticket. He did, however, say that residents could identify speeding hot spots or stop signs that people regularly blow and send a list to the 7th Precinct.
Sarah Greenstein, who sits on the civic association's bylaws committee, said she rarely, if ever sees people make a full stop at Bernard Street and Clubhouse Road, which serves as a gateway to the Merrick Peninsula.
Tricia Casey said she regularly sees teenagers partying at the southern end of Merrick Avenue, at a small Town of Hempstead green. Casey said that she and her husband are regularly kept up late at night by the noise. And she noted that she spotted teenagers passing a marijuana joint last week.
A number of residents also noted a recent accident at Florence Street and Beach Drive, only blocks north of James Street. According to residents, a teenager spun through a stop sign and landed on a resident's lawn. The driver then attempted to speed off, but residents pursued him. He drove around the block and returned to the accident site. No tickets were issued in that crash because a police officer did not witness an infraction, Thompson said. Residents wondered why the teenager wasn't cited for leaving the scene of an accident. The inspector said the young man returned to the crash site and waited for police to arrive.
Thompson said south Merrick remains a safe place to live. "This is an extraordinarily peaceful area," he said.
The inspector also noted, "The bulk of the accidents that occur in this area are on Merrick Road, and most often they are caused by driver inattention."
The South Merrick Community Civic Association's next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 24, at 7:30 p.m. at the Merrick Road golf course's clubhouse.
Comments about this story? SBrinton@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 203.
