April 12, 2012

14th Legislative District Update

Precinct Realignment

Many of you have read about Police Commissioner Dale’s plan to realign the police precincts. The plan reorganizes the bureaucratic structure in the precincts, saving up to $20 million annually and transfers 48 officer from desk to street duty. As a 30 year veteran of the force, I can say this plan will not affect the safety of Nassau’s citizens. The Policing Centers will be staffed 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, and will continue to provide many of the services that precincts do, such as reporting crimes and picking up accident reports. Since 911 calls are not processed at the actual precincts, but via our 911 call center in Bethpage, the 911 response time will remain the same.

In our district, the 7th Precinct will remain a full service precinct, and will be renamed as the 1st Precinct. The 2nd Precinct will also remain a full service precinct, while the 8th Precinct will be converted into a Policing Center.

Yellow Dot

The Yellow Dot Program will assist in lifesaving measures involving victims of automobile accident. A Yellow Dot in the rear window of a vehicle will alert First Responders arriving at an auto accident that vital information is contained in the glove compartment of the vehicle. This information can assist medical and emergency personnel during the first critical minutes, “The Golden Hour,” after a crash. The Yellow Dot program is a cooperative effort involving the Nassau County Police Department, the Emergency Ambulance Bureau and local fire departments. For more information, contact 516-571-6000.

Vial of Life

Vital medical and emergency information is placed in a packet which is attached to a shelf in the person’s refrigerator. Police, Fire Departments, Rescue Teams and hospitals are aware of this program. The packet is provided without charge and a Health Care Proxy is also enclosed.

For more information and registration forms, contact local areas:

Nassau County - 1-888-724-1200

City of Long Beach (L.I.F.E.) - (516) 431-3510

Town of Hempstead - (516) 485-8100

Town of North Hempstead - (516) 869-6311