Town Halls Planned On Reimagining Nassau County Police Department

MINEOLA, NY — Nassau County officials have released a timeline for its plan to develop, gain feedback and submit its plan to reimagine its police force as ordered by Gov. Andrew Cuomo. As part of that timeline, three town halls are planned this month to gather feedback on the Nassau County Police Department's community policing model. The meetings, scheduled for Oct. 14, 21 and 28, come after Cuomo in mid-June ordered all New York police departments to "reinvent" themselves or risk losing state money.

As Patch previously reported, Cuomo signed an executive order requiring all of the state's 500 police agencies to develop a plan to address racial biases, as well as reform legislation repealing so-called "50-a," which shields police disciplinary records from the public. Police departments that fail to enact the plan into local law by April 1 will not be eligible for state funding. Plans must address use of force, crowd management, community policing, implicit bias awareness training, deescalation training, restorative justice practices, community policing, and a transparent citizen complaint procedure, Cuomo said.

On Sept. 25, Nassau County Executive Laura Curran announced a schedule to complete the police reimagining plan. Nassau County is on track to satisfy the governor's order, she said, which she must present for filling with the state and requires a sign-off by the Nassau County Legislature.

Curran seeks community feedback through three forums: Nassau County Police and Community Trust, or PACT, the Commissioner’s Community Council meetings, and upcoming virtual town hall meetings. The county also created a website where residents can learn more about the governor's mandate and submit comments.

“Community policing and fostering close relationships is what we do best in Nassau, and we are fortifying our commitment to that model," Curran said in a news release.

Amid the reimagining effort, Nassau County was named last month the safest county in America by U.S. News & World Report. The analysis looked at data on crime, injuries and public safety capacity, as well as the violent crime rate, car crash fatalities, the number of public safety professionals in the population and the per capita spending on health care and emergency services.

But it also comes after criticism over the police department's handling of some George Floyd protesters. In June, three people were arrested on disorderly conduct charges during a George Floyd protest in East Meadow. Video showed a man walking down a street surrounded by Nassau County police officers. When one of the officers abruptly stopped in front of him, the protester bumped into the officer. Several other officers then pull the man to the ground and arrest him.

Peaceful protest in East Meadow, NY (Long Island):

An officer abruptly stops so the protestor walking behind him bumps into the cop.

Then the man is violently arrested.

Bystanders: “they kneeled on his neck & had about 6 officers holding him down.”pic.twitter.com/uNK5DOaFRo
— Rex Chapman (@RexChapman) June 13, 2020

In another video, police slam a protester to the pavement.

this arrest happened right after - cop reached into the crowd and body slammed a protestor. six cops on each of the 3 arrested - police captain said he “didn’t know why” they were arrested. nassau county pd, east meadow, ny pic.twitter.com/tocaVlMlIK
— jake (@xmoneymansavage) June 14, 2020

Among the people critical of the police department's actions: state Attorney General Letitia James who tweeted in response: "Please report this and send visuals to my office." She also included a link to lodge a complaint.

PACT

Curran's PACT initiative seeks to improve upon trust, transparency and create a constructive dialogue around policing, her office said. Law enforcement, protest organizers and community stakeholders can come together and engage in frank discussions about policing strategies and areas of concern for residents. PACT met four times by late September, she said, hearing comments from community advocates, police department chief Stephen Palmer, officials from the Department of Health and Human Services, and religious organizations.

PACT and the Nassau County police will hold a series of meetings with more stakeholders to hear presentations on policing policies and strategies, her office said. Among the groups invited to attend: the District Attorney’s Office, Legal Aid Society, LGBT Network, Long Island Advocates for Police Accountability, National Action Network and the Nassau County offices of the Sheriff, Physically Challenged and Civil Service.

Commissioner’s Community Council

The Commissioner’s Community Council formed last year and allows county officials to maintain and foster relationships with community leaders. More than 200 people, including community leaders from each legislative district, make up the council. The council provides additional community input on key issues that help police carry out community-oriented policing. Nassau Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder convened the council for four meetings in August.

• Aug. 12 with Legislative Districts 8, 9, 12, 14 and 17
• Aug. 19 with Legislative Districts 10, 11, 13, 15 and 19
• Aug. 20 with Legislative Districts 1, 2, 4 and 5
• Aug. 26 with Legislative Districts 3, 6, 7, 16 and 18

More meetings are expected this fall. Ryder talked with the community during recent Zoom meetings with the Nostrand Gardens Civic Association in Hempstead/Uniondale, the Jewish Community Relations Council, and a group of Hispanic civic leaders.

Virtual Town Halls

In addition to PACT and Community Council meetings, Curran plans to host virtual town hall meetings beginning this week to gather public input on reimagining police. The first virtual town hall is planned Wednesday at 6 p.m. on the Curran's Facebook Page. Questions or comments can be asked live during the town hall or emailed in advance to EO203@NassauCountyNY.gov. A second town hall is planned Oct. 21 at 6 p.m. and a third is slated for Oct. 28 at 6:30 p.m.

Plan Filling Date

Following the public outreach campaign, Nassau County officials will present their reimagining plan for public comment via the website or email in December and January. Once the public has given its feedback, Curran's administration will submit the plan for approval by the County Legislature by Feb. 15. The plan will then be filed with the state by April 1.

See also:

• Black Lives Matter Protesters Gather In Levittown: PHOTOS
• George Floyd Protests: Anxiety Grips LI As Misinformation Spreads