Nassau County has the lowest crime rate of any county in the United States populated by over a million people, according to William J. McHale, chief of patrol of the Nassau County Police Department. He was one of several police officials at a community security briefing Jan. 29 at the JCC of the Greater Five Towns in Cedarhurst.

“We use a conscious method to deploy our officers, who man the appropriate areas at all times,” Chief McHale explained. “It is not random, and the officers who work the posts have a good idea of any vulnerable entities…When problems are identified, they increase the patrols.”
The chief also credited auxiliary police officers — several of whom were present — for being “the eyes and ears of the Police Department… They know the community and the individuals in the community.”

Close to 40 community rabbis and leaders attended the briefing, which was intended to address any concerns and inform residents of the ongoing efforts of local authorities in combating security threats.

“Recent events in the Middle East have once again raised concerns about security here at home, and while there is no reason to believe that an organized threat exists, I want to assure you that the Nassau County Police Department remains diligent in their efforts to ensure the safety of their residents,” said Legislator Jeff Toback, the meeting’s organizer.

Detective Lieutenant Andrew Mulrain, the commanding officer of the Special Investigation Squad, spoke about detection strategies and the importance of sharing and disseminating intelligence information. He cited the July 2004 report of the 9/11 commission and its recommendation “to provide incentives to share information and renewed commitment to work together.”

“We investigate all cases that may have a potential nexus to terrorism or that are politically motivated,” he said, explaining how his squad — which partners with the Federal Bureau of Investigation on the Joint Terrorism Task Force — handles threats. “Our counter-terrorism bureau meets every Tuesday to talk about what’s going on locally, with our neighbors, in America and overseas.”

Lieutenant Mulrain urged community members to sign up to join SPIN — the Security/Police Information Network of the Nassau County Police Department. SPIN members receive e-mail notifications about robberies, transportation disruptions, sex offenders, major fires or explosions, and other situations involving public safety.

Detective Sergeant Gary Shapiro, Supervisor of the Community Affairs Unit and Bias Crimes Coordinator, assured residents that no specific threats have been detected for the area.

“There are no active credible threats right now,” he said, “nor have there been any in the relatively recent past.”

Sergeant Shapiro pointed out that although hate crimes are down over 30 percent this year in Nassau County, anti-Semitic hate crimes top the list of those that have been committed, with crimes against blacks ranked number two.

“Because of the demographics in the neighborhood, with about 1.3 million citizens, it is inevitable that we are going to have people committing hate crimes.”

He also noted that the police department relies on its citizens to report anything suspicious, no matter how trivial it may seem.

“These days, you can’t joke around,” he cautioned. “Please notify us to have your fears allayed.”

(LINK to Jewish Star)