Thousands lined the streets of Wantagh on April 27 for the Nassau County Police Department’s 100th anniversary parade. Over 250 vehicles from county and New York City police departments, accompanied by thousands more, marched in the parade down Wantagh and Park Avenue.
The Nassau County Emerald Society Pipes and Drums began the procession of police officers and vehicles, followed by parade marshals, including Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder, who threw shirts out to the packed crowds.
“No one in the country’s history has done just a police parade,” Ryder said. “Well, it happened here today!”
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said over 250 vehicles formed the procession of police departments from across the county and New York City, which continued to march for the next hour.
Along with village and city police departments marching, vehicles throughout the Nassau County Police Department’s history drove down the roughly one-mile route. A 1928 Ford Model A was on display, which a group of four officers had to push along the route, along with an ensemble of white Dodge Diplomats from the 1980s.
A block party featuring live music and food vendors then took place for the next few hours along Station Plaza following the parade’s conclusion.
The Nassau County Police Department has grown significantly since its founding a century ago, boasting approximately 2,600 active members, around 2,550 more than in 1925.
“This is the 100th anniversary of our great police department, but today is not only a celebration, it is a day of memory,” Blakeman said. “We remember those who died in the line of duty protecting us. We remember the sacrifices that people made in our department who were injured, and hurt and disabled.”
