The following is an e-mail from PAL President Maura Celantano:

"On February 2nd at the County Executive's emergency budget press conference, widespread reduction of services and personnel was put forth. The most alarming of these cuts is to the Police Department PAL unit. Currently this detail operates with a total of 11 officers including 2 Sargeants. What was proposed yesterday was to reduce this number to a total of 3. This is excessive and obscene. In a time when the county tells the communities that we are hard on crime, drugs and gangs it takes away the best vehicle to combat these issues.

Since 2000 this group has already been subject to a 60% reduction in force. At that time each community within Nassau County enjoyed a good relationship with the Police Officer/Director assigned to a particular unit. The officers stayed for many years. However since that time the contingent of police officers has been reduced from 35 to the present day 11 and in many instances the communities although aware of the police department involvement in PAL rarely see the police officer/director since they are overseeing multiple units at the same time. In fact recently our own police officer covered four events in a single day, just to have people associate a face with a name.

It would be wonderful if all reading this could write to the County Executive, Tom Suozzi and the Legislator, Kevan Abrahams to tell these individuals that this is not in the best interest of the children of Nassau County and why in times of strife are opportunities like this to meet the police in an open forum are passed over."

Here are the phone numbers and emails of the Legislators and Suozzi, courtesy of Kaizen Karate:

Thomas R. Suozzi
County Executive
(516)571-3131

 http://www.nassaucountyny.gov/agencies/CountyExecutive/email.html
 
Deputy Presiding Officer
Kevan Abrahams
phone (516) 571-6201
fax (516) 571-6187
http://www.nassaucountyny.gov/agencies/Legis/LD/01/contact.html