By:Jason Scheer
Neither a Yankees game, a presidential debate nor Middle School Parents Night deterred nearly 50 local residents from attending the West Hempstead Civic Association meeting Oct. 13.
Quality-of-life issues, ranging from the placement of traffic signs to the proposed closing of the Long Island Rail Road's West Hempstead branch, dominated the meeting.
Many residents voiced their concerns about what they perceive to be unsafe conditions around West Hempstead schools. Rosalie Norton, president of the West Hempstead Civic Association, said she sent a letter to Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi's office, requesting that the county reduce the speed limit on Nassau Boulevard in the vicinity of the middle school.
Other residents pointed out that the stop signs in front of the Cornwell Avenue Elementary School and the Chestnut Street School are routinely ignored by drivers, posing a threat to the youngsters crossing the street. "On Chestnut Street, not only do we have a school, but we have a library as well," one resident said. "We could balance the budget for the fifth precinct [by ticketing] the people who blow the stop sign every day."
Inspector Wayne Atkins, commanding officer of Nassau County's 5th Precinct, said he would investigate the problem, but added that it is difficult to assign officers to specific areas because the precinct encompasses such an extensive area. "We can't be everywhere, but we try," Atkins said. The police presence in those areas would be augmented now that the precinct is aware of the situation, he said.
Atkins also released statistics showing that crime is declining in the town. With 2004 drawing to a close, the number of residential burglaries this year is 14, down from 51 in all of 2003. Incidents of larceny also declined, he said. "Last year in the West Hempstead community, we had 206 larcenies occur," Atkins said. "We have 51 so far this year, a large drop."
Total crime in the precinct is down 11 percent when compared with last year, Atkins said. He reiterated that the police can't be everywhere, and encouraged those who witness a crime, be it a burglary or a traffic violation, to contact the police. "At night, there are 22 cars out on patrol in the whole precinct with 150,000 homes ... we need a little help and direction," Atkins said. "If you give us a call, we'll be there."
Concerns over the potential closing of the West Hempstead branch of the Long Island Rail Road were raised by many in attendance. Approximately 3,000 riders use the branch on weekdays. State Assemblyman Tom Alfano (R-Franklin Square), whose district encompasses West Hempstead, attended the meeting, and said he is working closely with state Sen. Dean Skelos (R-Rockville Centre) to thwart the MTA's plan. Because Skelos sits on the MTA's Capital Program Review Board and is deputy majority leader of the state Assembly, he is a powerful ally, Alfano said.
"Senator Skelos is in a unique position, because out of the entire New York state Senate, he is an MTA representative," Alfano said. "It could have been anyone, but it happened to be him, which is good for us, and he's made the commitment, along with myself, to do everything humanly possible to prevent that station from closing."
Comments about this story? JScheer@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000, ext. 282.
