Monday, May 19, 2025
Thousands of residents lined the streets of Wantagh on Sunday, April 27, to celebrate the Nassau County Police Department’s 100th anniversary with a street parade and block party.
The parade stepped off from the corner of Wantagh and Beltagh avenues and featured antique police cars, motorcycles, pipe bands and horses. A helicopter flyover and performances by live musicians added to the festivities as the parade made its way toward Beech Street and Park Avenue.
According to a news release from the office of Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, around 70,000 residents attended the celebration. The police department, the release stated, is part of why U.S. News & World Report named the county as the safest in America in their 2024 report. Blakeman, the release added, plans to continue investing in local law enforcement to help keep residents safe.
“We appreciate the men and women who keep us safe each and every day and remember those who died in the line of duty protecting our beautiful and great County,” Blakeman said in a statement. “Residents of Nassau County love their Police Department. May God bless them all and God bless America.”
Following the parade, a block party took place on Railroad Avenue in front of Mulcahy’s Pub & Concert Hall, where attendees enjoyed food, music, and activities throughout the evening.
The police department was founded in April 1925 with 55 officers and has since grown into one of the largest police departments in the country, now serving more than 1.3 million residents with approximately 2,600 officers.
Blakeman and Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder helped lead the centennial festivities, which aimed to honor the department’s legacy. Officials previously described the celebration as an opportunity to thank past and present members of the force and recognize the department’s impact on Nassau County over the past century.
At the event, Ryder thanked police officers and officials who attended the event.
“We are here for one reason, and one reason only: to recognize and thank the men and women who serve,” Ryder said at the parade. “The County Executive said he wanted the biggest police parade in the country. No one has ever in the country’s history done just a police parade. Well, it happened here today.”
The parade included appearances from village police departments and featured past and present police vehicles as well as pipe bands from throughout the region.
Additional reporting by Luke Feeney
