By: Brian Zanzonico
Hennessy said at the Jan. 5 village board meeting that the decreased mileage reflects a relaxed approach taken last month to patrolling the one-plus square mile of the village. He also called the $300,000 that officers logged in overtime "crazy," since the village's fiscal year does not end for another five months.
"Ten years ago, 19 officers accumulated $150,000 in overtime. Now it's $305,000. I realize it's 10 years, but that's a hell of a lot of money in overtime," Hennessy said after the meeting. "Twenty-four men covering one square mile. Crazy."
In November, the police department logged 9,300 patrol miles, according to figures released by Chief Glen Jacobsen. Last month, officers patrolled 7,760 miles. The number of summonses was also down, from 460 in November to 307 in December. Hennessy said police would write more summonses if they patrolled the streets with more frequency.
"One of the biggest complaints from residents is the department's lack of a visible presence," Hennessy said after the meeting. "Part of the job is to patrol. Not to sit in a station house. They get a very good salary. They work in a relatively good community. They're asked to do a job, and part of that's patrol."
Jacobsen said there is no correlation between miles logged and police work. Many of the police department's 24 officers typically bank their personal days for the end of the year, he said, which explains the reduced mileage. Jacobsen also cited the 5 percent rise in crime in Nassau County's Fifth Precinct, the 6 percent crime increase in the county's villages and Malverne's 33 percent drop in crime in December as an indicator that Malverne Police are protecting the community. With crime down in December with a depleted police department and on the rise in neighboring communities, Jacobsen said that is all the proof he needs to know Malverne is safe.
"The people of Malverne see us on a daily and nightly basis. They know we're keeping it safe," Jacobsen said after the meeting.
"I expect crime to be down because we have a police department," Hennessy said.
Hennessy, a former Malverne mayor who is up for re-election for trustee in March, said the police force's overtime money for the fiscal year has almost dried up. "We're close to spending all the overtime money for the year," he said after the meeting. "The logical question is, where will we get the money to pay more? I will not penalize the other departments. This is crazy."
Jacobsen said the issue of overtime and retirement pensions - which will increase next year - are the concern of the Police Benevolent Association. "The place to effect change is in the collective bargaining process," he said, noting that overtime would be down if more officers were added to the force. Officer Robert Lawlor retired last week after 31 years on the force, and will not be replaced. "I understand the challenge of the village budget," Jacobsen said. "Police is a tremendous expense, but my position is not to compromise public safety. The challenge is to work within the budget without compromising public safety."
Hennessy said his main issue is with the way the department is run. "It's overall management," he said. "One month you have 10,000 miles on patrol, then the next month it's 7,000. That should trigger something. How do you lose 3,000 miles?"
"I'm in the results business, and crime is down," Jacobsen said.
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