Mineola, NY - Nassau County Executive Thomas R. Suozzi today spoke at the graduation ceremonies for 44 new police officers who will be assigned to the eight County police precincts, as well as one each to the Villages of Kensington and Malverne. The 44 new officers sworn in today are the first new officers to be hired since 1999. These officers graduated from the Nassau County Police Academy.

"Thanks to the efforts of the men and women of the Nassau County Police Department, we have the lowest crime rate in more than 30 years and Nassau continues to have one of the lowest crime rates of any municipality with a population over a million people," said County Executive Suozzi. I am confident that the addition of these police officers will continue that trend and Nassau will remain one of the safest places in the country to live."

The Police Department has recently received a major upgrade in funding and resources as the County's financial situation has dramatically improved. 220 new police cars are replacing older cars in the fleet and a $40 million state-of-the-art radio communication system is being developed.

The hirings are consistent with the Multi-Year Police Staffing Plan outlined by the County Executive after receiving Commissioner Lawrence's report on staffing in December 2003. The multi-year plan recommends the hiring of 205 officers in 2004 and an additional 100 new police officers to be hired every January 1st from 2005 forward. The number may fluctuate depending on attrition, crime rates, further analysis and Nassau County's fiscal condition.