County Executive’s Police Reform and Reinvention Plan receives bipartisan support
(Photo source: Facebook)
The Nassau County Legislature approved County Executive Laura Curran’s Police Reform and Reinvention Plan with bipartisan support. The adopted plan, born out of more than 120 public input session, includes Nassau’s first body worn camera program.
“I thank our residents, community stakeholders, Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder and law enforcement officials for their continued engagement and common focus to reform policing,” Curran said. “Our plan focused on police reform through robust community-orientated policing, transparency and accountability. Nassau’s body-worn camera program will enhance the high-quality public service expected of our police officers and promote deeper trust within the communities they serve. Cameras will provide a new level of community safety for everyone.”
On Jan. 7, the County Executive released a Police Reform Draft Plan for public comment and filed an updated plan that incorporated further community input. The Nassau County Legislature then commenced a special meeting regarding the updated plan and received input from Long Island Advocates for Police Accountability (“LIAFPA”) and other participants. The County Executive’s office addressed follow-up questions with LIAFPA and made additional amendments to the plan. The adopted plan, a product of more than 120 public input sessions and written proposals submitted from residents and community stakeholders, represents the latest blueprint for policing reforms in Nassau County.
(Photo by Frank Rizzo)
“For the past several months we have been working with our communities on police reform,” Ryder said. “New York State addressed 11 key areas and the Nassau County Police Department responded with new data reporting and policy changes. Over the course of hundreds of meetings, emails and phone calls, we received over 90 recommendations. The adopted reforms add a new level of accountability that our communities and residents require. The police department will continue to serve our residents in the most professional manner.”
The amended plan approved by the Nassau County Legislature includes:
Robust Community-Orientated Policing
• Diversity in department staffing and recruitment—creation of diversity teams, recruitment cadet programs, mentoring programs for applicants.
• Community Outreach for more positive interactions—Establishment of a program at the
community libraries where officers read to children every month; formation of a Young
Adult Council in every precinct, organization of community ride programs with young people through the communities they patrol, more regular National Night Outs with attendance by patrol officers.
• Enhanced collaboration between the police department and the Nassau County Mobile Crisis Team, increased mental health call intake training to 911 operators, and a two-tier system to mental health response.
Transparency
• Improvements to traffic summons collection of demographics that will be available to the public.
• Commencing a body-worn camera program this year.
• Public issuance of a biannual use of force report.
• Public issuance of a biannual bias incident and hate crime report.
• Annual implicit bias training.
Accountability
• 24/7 Nassau County Complaint Hotline through the Nassau County Office of Crime Victims Advocate.
The New York State Attorney General’s office has new oversight to investigate officer misconduct. The law requires prompt reporting by law enforcement to the attorney general of all misconduct, including “allegations of corruption, fraud, use of excessive force, criminal activity, conflicts of interest, or abuse in any covered agency.”
The adopted Reform and Reinvention Plan was filed with the State of New York, per Executive Order 203, by April 1. The Nassau County EO 203 website will remain updated at www.EO203@nassaucountyny.gov.
—Submitted by the office of County Executive
