Nassau County Police Department
This article needs additional citations for verification. (May 2022) |
Nassau County Police Department | |
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Chief | |
Facilities | |
Precincts | 8 |
Airbases | 1 |
Marine Units | 6 |
Helicopters | 3 |
Website | |
www.pdcn.org |
The Nassau County Police Department (also referred to as the Nassau Police & Nassau County Police and abbreviated as NCPD) is the law enforcement agency of Nassau County, on Long Island, New York, United States.
History
In 1925, concerned about rising crime rates, the County Board of Supervisors voted to create the Nassau County Police Department, replacing a scattered system of constables and town and village police departments. Some jurisdictions declined to join the police district, however, and have opted to maintain their own independent police forces to this day (i.e.: the Port Washington Police District). Consisting initially of Chief of Police (later Commissioner) Abram Skidmore, 55 officers (absorbed from the Nassau County Deputy Sheriff's[3]) and a fingerprint expert, the force grew to 450 officers by 1932 and reached 650 officers by the time Skidmore retired in 1945.[3]
The expansion accelerated dramatically following World War II with the rapid suburbanization of the county. It reached 1,000 officers in six precincts by 1950. A seventh precinct was opened in 1955 and an eighth followed five years later. In the early 1970s, with crime and civil disorder in neighboring New York City and other cities a major concern, the force was boosted to its greatest strength, nearly 4,200 officers. Since then, it has declined to around 2,600, and it remains one of the largest county police agencies in the United States.
In 1989 officers were equipped with
Nevertheless, the department's reduced size has been a source of controversy, with the village of Mineola exploring the idea of seceding from the police district and establishing its own police force.[4] On December 5, 2006, however, the village's voters decisively rejected the proposal, 2,936 to 1,288.[5]
In October 2011, the Nassau County Legislature voted on a budget that had the effect of closing three of the eight precincts. In March 2012 the Levittown station was chosen to be the first to be reduced to a "Community Policing Center" followed by the 5th Precinct in Elmont, and 6th Precinct in Manhasset. All previously closed Precincts have since reopened.[6][7]
The department is headed by a civilian commissioner, appointed by the county executive. On January 24, 2018, County Executive Laura Curran appointed Patrick Ryder, the former commanding Officer of the Asset Forfeiture & Intelligence Unit, as Commissioner.[8] On February 26, 2018, after being unanimously confirmed by the Nassau County Legislature, Ryder was sworn in as Nassau County police commissioner.[9][10]
In April 2019 the county announced an agreement had been reached between the Democrat County executive and Republican-controlled County legislature, and on April 10, 2019, the 6th Precinct in Manhasset and the 8th Precinct in Levittown were reopened, restoring the department to its original 8 precinct Size.
The NCPD's guiding philosophy is that it is a "service-oriented" police department, promoting the concept of the community as client, and the police as provider. (For example, officers will come to a citizen's home to take a crime report or complaint, rather than ask the citizen to come to the precinct.) Sociologist James Q. Wilson used the Nassau department as the exemplar of this approach in his classic 1968 study, Varieties of Police Behavior.
Equipment
The department has historically been known to quickly embrace new technologies. The Marine Bureau began in 1933 with the gift of an 18-foot Chris Craft mahogany speedboat from the residents of
In addition to these units, the department also maintains many features, such as a Detective Bureau, a police academy, a mounted unit, an arson/bomb squad, a hostage negotiation team, a citizen-based
Traffic safety is a major department priority, given Nassau's relative lack of public transportation and its perpetually clogged roads and highways. A unique feature of the department is its Children's Safety Town, an actual village built to 1/3 scale that includes paved streets, two intersections equipped with traffic signals, an overpass, two tunnels, a simulated railroad crossing and 21 buildings. Managed by the department's Traffic Safety Unit, it allows the NCPD to teach traffic and bicycle safety to grade schoolers under controlled conditions.
In 1989, concerned about the increasingly heavy weaponry being carried by criminals, the NCPD was among the first police departments in the country to trade their venerable 6 shot .38
In 1995, the NCPD became the largest police department in the country to that time, and the first in New York State, to allow its officers to work a steady 10- or 12-hour shift, rather than a rotating 8-hour shift commencing at a different time each week.[12] In early 2007, the NCPD announced that 207 marked patrol vehicles would be equipped with Global Positioning System (GPS) devices, allowing "live" views of the location of all active units.[13]
In late 2006, the department undertook "Operation Gotcha,"[14] deploying a new technology that scans the license plate numbers of passing vehicles directly into a mobile crime computer, allowing the immediate apprehension of drivers operating vehicles with expired licenses, suspended registrations or with outstanding arrest warrants. The technology allows the scanning of literally thousands of plates in a single shift.
Firearms
- 9mm SIG Sauer P226pistols.
- SIG Sauer SIGM400
- Glock 45 9mm
Police vehicles
In the 1990s, the department exclusively used Ford Crown Victorias and Chevrolet Caprices as their main patrol cars. Mounted units used Chevrolet Suburbans.
In 2003, the department switched to the 2000–2005
Model year 2006–2010 Dodge Chargers were tested for highway patrol use. The Dodge Charger was a performance leader; however, due to maintenance costs, the department did not use many and few are still in service as of 2018.
The department tried Chevrolet Tahoes in 2010 and they were given to certain sectors. The vehicle proved to be a strong patrol car with good all-weather capability and was a valuable asset during Hurricane Sandy. The Chevrolet Caprice 9C1 was tried out in 2014 and was given to precincts and highway patrol.
The mounted unit operates Chevrolet Tahoes and Suburbans. Highway patrol utilizes the Ford Police Interceptor, Ford Crown Victoria, Chevrolet Caprice and Dodge Charger. The Auxiliary Police unit uses a variety of ex-marked Nassau County Police cars, the majority of which being Ford Crown Victorias and Chevrolet Impalas.
Nassau County Highway Patrol now utilizes 2021-2022 Dodge Chargers and Late model Chevrolet Tahoes for patrol.
Nassau County ended up switching to the
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Chevy Impala patrol vehicle at Hempstead Turnpike and Merrick Avenue.
-
AWantagh.
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Nassau County Police and EMTs
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Ford Crown Victoria P71
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A First Precinct Chevrolet Tahoe
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1st Precinct Gang Unit Chevrolet Impala 9C1
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Ford Police Interceptor.
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Patrol boat in Port Washington
Recruitment
The Nassau County Police Department (NCPD) recruits candidates for Law Enforcement positions by administering the Nassau County Civil Service application for the position of Police Officer. Candidates will then be required to pass a written examination prior to beginning the hiring process.
They also serve as the hiring authority for Law Enforcement positions in certain
- Brookville
- Centre Island
- Floral Park
- Freeport
- Great Neck Estates
- Garden City
- Hempstead
- Kensington
- Kings Point
- Lake Success
- Lynbrook
- Malverne
- Muttontown–Upper Brookville
- Old Brookville
- Old Westbury
- Oyster Bay Cove
- Port Washington
- Rockville Centre
- Sands Point
Applicants must successfully complete the hiring process with the NCPD in order to be appointed. NCPD applicants who are selected for assignment at one of these agencies will commence training at the Nassau County Police academy. They will be training alongside recruits from the Nassau County Police Department and other agencies within Nassau County. Officers from these 19 independent police forces are thus recruited and trained under the same standards as the NCPD.
Rank structure
Promotion to the ranks of
Title | Insignia | Duties / Requirements |
---|---|---|
Police Commissioner
|
Civilian head of department. | |
Chief of Department | Highest-ranking sworn officer. | |
Chief of Division | Commands a division. | |
Assistant Chief | Second-in-Command of a Division. | |
Deputy Chief | Commands a Bureau | |
Inspector | Precinct commander. | |
Deputy Inspector | Second-in-Command of a Precinct. | |
Detective Captain or Captain |
Shift commander. | |
Detective Lieutenant or Lieutenant |
Shift supervisor. | |
Detective Sergeant or Sergeant |
Field supervisor. | |
Police Officer
|
Other staff
The Nassau County Police Department also employs School Crossing Guards, Communication/911 operators, Police Service Aids, Clerk/Typists, Mechanics and Public Safety Officers.
Auxiliary Police
The Nassau County Auxiliary Police is a unit of the Nassau County Police Department. These volunteer police officers are assigned to 1 of 36 local community units and perform routine patrols of the neighborhood and provide traffic control for local parades, races, other community events and assist the Police Department as needed. Auxiliary Police officers are empowered to make arrests for crimes that occur in their presence.
Nassau County Auxiliary Police officers must attend and complete a 130-hour, 36-session training course,, traffic and pedestrian control, and response to critical incidents.
Auxiliary Police officers are certified by the NYS Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) as "Peace Officers" and are registered in the NYS DCJS registry of peace officers.
Emergency Ambulance Bureau
In addition to police officers, the department also employs hundreds of civilian Police Medics (PMs) who consist of Critical Care Emergency Medical Technicians (
Unlike most jurisdictions, where emergency medical response and ambulance transport are functions performed primarily by a fire department or other organizations, in Nassau County, the police department and local volunteer fire departments share this responsibility. Nassau is one of the few police agencies in New York State that trains all of its police officers to provide emergency medical services to assist the Police Medics. Nassau Police ambulances are manned by gray and blue uniformed Police Medics rather than police officers.
While it is important to note that Police Medics are civilian employees of the police department, they do have additional equipment and powers when compared to other paramedics. Most Police Medics carry handcuffs and pepper spray, and all Police Medics are issued bulletproof vests. Unlike other paramedics, Police Medics are often placed directly into police situations, including many violent situations that most paramedics would stage away from until the scene was secure. The volunteer fire departments and private ambulance companies who work public 911 contracts in Nassau rely on the Police Medics to handle all violent patients, including psychiatric patients, criminals who require medical treatment, prisoners in need of medical treatment (from the county holding cells or the county jail), and others. Unlike its neighboring municipalities, all psychiatric patients in Nassau go to the hospital by ambulance, due to the county having Police Medics on duty 24/7. In Suffolk or NYC, more violent or dangerous patients would often be taken by police cars instead.
The department operates 18-26 Demers Type I and Braun Type-III modular-style ambulances on any given day, each designated a four digit unit number of the pattern 23xx. For frontline ambulances, the final number matches the precinct the ambulance is assigned to. For example, an ambulance assigned to the fourth precinct would follow this model: 23x4. The third number is chosen at the discretion of headquarters and can be any single digit number, so long as an ambulance with that designation is not already in service. Spare ambulances do not follow this system. All ambulances are advanced life support ambulances and carry heart monitors, defibrillators, oxygen, trauma dressings, intubation kits, IV and IO needles and tubing, Advanced Life Support medications and other vital medical equipment. In mid 2019, NCPD deployed automated CPR devices (specifically the brand "LifeArm") to all its ambulances. These had previously been limited to supervisors vehicles only, due to the expense. However given that police medics ride solo, the dangers CPR poses to an EMS provider while an ambulance is moving, and the effectiveness of automated CPR, the county decided to use asset forfeiture funds to purchase enough additional devices so that all its ambulances could have one. As of October 2019 the deployment of these devices was reported to be complete.
The NCPD Emergency Ambulance Bureau consists of five ranks: Police Medic, Police Medic Supervisor, Police Medic Coordinator, Assistant Bureau director, and Bureau director. As Police Medics are civilian members of the department, they have no rank equivalency to sworn members of the Force (Police Officers), however the lowest rank ever allowed to oversee the bureau was a Deputy Inspector, and in more recent times the bureau was overseen by a full Inspector. At the present time, the bureau is overseen by the chiefs within the patrol division and is considered a part of the patrol division. The Bureau director of the Emergency Ambulance Bureau has been described in the past to function similarly to an inspector or even a deputy chief.
The NCPD Emergency Ambulance Bureau covers over 60,000 calls per year with 22 units operating.
A small number of EAB personnel are designated "Tactical Medics", specially trained and equipped to operate with the NCPD's Bureau of Special Operations to rescue wounded officers and civilians under fire.
After finding the abandoned bodies of a number of newborn children, Nassau AMT Timothy Jaccard and several of his colleagues in the Emergency Ambulance Bureau founded the AMT Children of Hope Foundation,[16] to give these children proper funerals and dignified burials.
Personnel issues
Nassau officers (along with their counterparts in the
Many New York City police officers apply for positions in the Nassau force because of this disparity.[18] Failure rates of NYPD officers in the Nassau Police Academy are about the same as non-police officer candidates. Typically, between one-third and one-half of the recruits in every Nassau police academy class are former city officers.[19] A police exam took place in January 2018 and a large class of 185 recruits (including 50 former NYPD officers) entered the police academy in December 2020.[20]
Police pay has been a contentious issue in the county for many years. In 2000, the state formed a financial oversight authority to monitor the county's budget. On January 27, 2011, after several public warnings, the authority moved to take control of the county's finances.[21] Budgetary issues have curtailed hiring severely.[when?] On May 17, 2013, a class of only 37 recruits was sworn into the police academy, the first class since 48 entered in 2004 and 50 recruits in 2008.[22]
Hiring on the Nassau force has long been a bone of contention, with African Americans, Hispanics and other groups, often supported by the U.S. Justice Department, claiming the hiring process is biased toward white males. The county has denied any intentional discrimination, and there have been repeated recruiting drives aimed at convincing more minorities to take the police exam, which itself has been repeatedly redesigned with the aim of making it easier. White candidates have disputed this, claiming the test is now biased against them.[23] These controversies have led to numerous lawsuits, which have repeatedly delayed hiring and account in part for the force's shrinking size.
Another major point of contention between the county government and the police union in recent years has been inadequate police academy training facilities. After being located for several years in a converted elementary school in
Notable cases
The Nassau County Police investigated the hunt for
Fallen officers
In the history of the Nassau County Police Department, 35 police officers have died while on duty.[29]
In popular culture
- The short-lived CBS sitcom Kevin Can Wait told the story of Kevin Gable, a retired Nassau County cop living in Massapequa, who later started a private security company.
- The 1985 film Compromising Positions, starring Susan Sarandon, Raul Julia, and Edward Herrmann, features the NCPD.
- Old Westbury.
- Nassau County Police are frequently featured in books by novelist, Nelson DeMille, such as his bestseller, Gold Coast.
See also
References
- ^ See, The World Almanac and Book of Facts, 2006 Edition, p. 535
- ^ "Nassau County Police Department". Archived from the original on 2011-01-02. Retrieved 2010-09-13.
- ^ a b Brailovskiy, Gabby (2019-05-30). "Chronicling the Nassau County Police Department". Herald Community Newspapers. Retrieved 2024-02-27.
- ^ Board of Trustees Rejects Bids for Police Study: Public Will Get to Vote on Possible Mineola Police This Year Archived 2007-03-11 at the Wayback Machine, Mineola American, August 18, 2006
- ^ Residents Make Statement Against Village Police Department Archived 2007-09-30 at the Wayback Machine, Mineola American, December 15, 2006
- ^ "Nassau County To Start Closing Down Police Precincts In May « CBS New York". Newyork.cbslocal.com. 2012-03-26. Retrieved 2016-09-15.
- ^ Clausen, Janelle (2018-12-31). "Nassau County Police 6th Precinct reopening nears - Featured". The Island Now. Retrieved 2021-08-11.
- ^ "Laura Curran taps Patrick Ryder as Nassau Police commissioner". Newsday. 2018-01-24.
- ^ "Patrick Ryder sworn in as Nassau police commissioner". Newsday. 2018-02-26.
- ^ "Biography | Nassau County Police, NY".
- ^ "Nassau County Police Department". Police.co.nassau.ny.us. Retrieved 2016-09-15.
- ^ McQuiston, John T. (January 9, 1995). "In Revising Police Shifts, Nassau Joins A U.S. Trend". The New York Times. Retrieved May 19, 2010.
- ^ "GPS Devices Installed in Nassau Police Vehicles". The Northender. January 10, 2007. Archived from the original on 2007-10-08.
- ^ "N.Y. police scan cars with high-tech cameras". Policeone.com. 2007-06-21. Retrieved 2016-09-15.
- ^ "Nassau County Auxiliary Police". Pdcnaux.org. Retrieved 2016-09-15.
- ^ "AMT Children of Hope Foundation". Amtchildrenofhope.com. Retrieved 2016-09-15.
- ^ "Nassau police union, county agree on tentative 8 1/2-year contract". The Island 360. December 27, 2022.
- ^ Pierre-Pierre, Garry (October 8, 1995). "They're Tried, They're True, But How Long Do They Stay?". The New York Times.
- ^ Kilgannon, Corey (May 22, 2007). "With High Pay, Long Island Police Jobs Draw Stampede". The New York Times. Retrieved May 19, 2010.
- ^ Celona, Larry (December 15, 2020). "Dozens of fed-up NYPD cops leave for Long Island departments". The New York Post. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
- ^ "High Police Pay Fuels Nassau's Squeeze". The Wall Street Journal. Feb 4, 2011.
- ^ "Nassau police department swears in 37". Newsday. May 17, 2013.
- ^ "Quota Hires in Blue". The Weekly Standard. April 14, 1997. Archived from the original on 2006-11-10.
- ^ "Nassau County Executive - News Release". www.nassaucountyny.gov. Archived from the original on 30 September 2006. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
- ^ "Nassau County Dedicates New Police Training Facility". Garden City, NY Patch. 2021-10-21. Retrieved 2022-08-12.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2010-09-17. Retrieved 2010-09-28.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Federal Bureau of Investigation - FBI History - Famous Cases". Archived from the original on 2010-06-09. Retrieved 2016-07-28.
- ^ Cergol, George (28 May 2013). "Police Reopen Cold Case Murder Investigation of Slain Long Island Teen". NBC New York. Retrieved 20 June 2021.
- ^ "Nassau County Police Department, New York, Fallen Officers". Odmp.org. Retrieved 2016-09-15.