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Coordinates:
40°42′17″N 73°37′2″W / 40.70472°N 73.61722°WCountry
United StatesState
New YorkRegionLong IslandCountyNassauTownHempsteadSettled1643Incorporated1853Named afterHeemstede, Netherlands
Hemel Hempstead, UKGovernment
• MayorWaylyn Hobbs, Jr. (D)[3] • Deputy MayorJeffery DanielsArea
3.69 sq mi (9.57 km2) • Land3.69 sq mi (9.56 km2) • Water0.0039 sq mi (0.01 km2)Population
59,169 • Density16,032/sq mi (6,189.9/km2)Time zoneUTC-5 (EST) • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)Zip Code
Area codes516, 363FIPS code36-33139GNIS feature ID0952574Websitevillageofhempstead
| New Netherland series |
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| Exploration |
| Fortifications: |
| Settlements: |
| The Patroon System |
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| People of New Netherland |
| Flushing Remonstrance |
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Hempstead is a village located in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, on Long Island, in New York, United States. The population was 59,169 at the 2020 census, making it the most populous village in New York.[5]
The Incorporated Village of Hempstead is the site of the seventeenth-century "town spot" from which English and Dutch settlers developed the Town of Hempstead, the Town of North Hempstead, and ultimately Nassau County. It is the largest community by population in both the Town of Hempstead and Nassau County.
Hofstra University is partially located in Hempstead.[6]
Hempstead may have been named after Hemel Hempstead in the English county of Hertfordshire, where village founder John Carman was born.[7] Another theory regarding the origin of the village's name is that it is derived from the town of Heemstede in the Netherlands, as this was an area from which many Dutch settlers of New Netherland originated.
In 1664, the new settlement adopted the Duke's Laws, an austere set of laws that became the basis upon which the laws of many colonies were to be founded. For a time, Hempstead became known as "Old Blue," as a result of the blue laws.[2]
The land on which the Village of Hempstead stands was under Dutch control from the early 1620s. In the fall of 1643, two followers of the Presbyterian minister Richard Denton, Robert Fordham and John Carman, crossed Long Island Sound by rowboat to negotiate with the local Native Americans for a tract of land upon which to establish a new community. Representatives of the Marsapeague (Massapequa), Mericock (Merrick), Matinecock and Rekowake (Rockaway) tribes met with the two men at a site slightly west of the current Denton Green in Hempstead Village. Tackapousha, who was the sachem (chief spokesman) of the Marsapeague, was the acknowledged spokesman for conducting the transaction.[7] The Indians sold approximately 64,000 acres (260 km2), the present day towns of Hempstead and North Hempstead, for an unknown quantity of items; a 1657 revisit of this agreement names large and small cattle, stockings, wampum, hatchets, knives, trading cloth, powder, and lead given as payment by the English.[8] Some items may have been valuable to the Native Americans in terms of the contemporary markets for European "trinkets," which may have held symbolic and spiritual importance to Native America peoples in the Northeast.[9]
In the spring of 1644, thirty to forty families left Stamford, Connecticut, crossed Long Island Sound, landed in Hempstead Harbor and eventually made their way to the present site of the village of Hempstead where they began their English settlement within Dutch-controlled New Netherland. The settling of Hempstead marked the beginnings of the oldest English settlement in what is now Nassau County. Subsequent trips across the Sound brought more settlers who prepared a fort here for their mutual protection. These original Hempstead settlers were Puritans in search of a place where they could more freely express their particular brand of Protestantism. They established a Presbyterian church that is the oldest continually active Presbyterian congregation in the nation.[7] In 1843, Benjamin F. Thompson wrote and published a history of the village, and an account of contemporary Hempstead Village. Thompson reported that there were 200 dwellings, and 1,400 residents; that the village was connected to New York City by a turnpike and a railroad; that it had dry soil, excellent water, and pure air; and that it was the principal place of mercantile, and mechanical business, in the county. The village of Hempstead was incorporated on May 6, 1853, becoming the first community in Queens County (Nassau County did not exist as a separate county until 1899) to do so.[2]
As the years passed, the population of Hempstead increased, as did its importance and prestige. Between 1703 and 1705, the newly formed St. George's Church received a silver communion service from England's Queen Anne.[2]
During the American Revolution, Hempstead was a center of British sympathizers.[10] The British attempted to occupy Hempstead after the Battle of Long Island,[10] and used St. George's as a headquarters as well as a place to worship. Judge Thomas Jones faulted a lax peace treaty for forcing the evacuation of the loyalists.[citation needed]
In the 19th century, Hempstead became increasingly important as a trading center for Long Island. In 1853 it became the first self-governing incorporated village. Many prominent families such as the Vanderbilts and the Belmonts built homes here, making Hempstead a center of Long Island society. Hempstead merchants established routes out to outlying farms and served as a distribution point for many firms. Wagons would leave Hempstead loaded with tobacco, candy, and cigarettes and return in a week to restock. Bakeries covered routes from Baldwin to Far Rockaway daily. Butchers ran routes to Seaford, Elmont, Valley Stream, Wantagh, East Meadow, Creedmoor, East Rockaway and Christian Hook. Drugs, medicines, perfumes, extracts, aprons, children's coats and dresses and men's clothes were peddled about the country by Hempstead merchants. People came from all sections of Queens to purchase stoves, and there were few places outside Hempstead where stoves could be purchased. Hempstead was the shopping center for Nassau County and the eastern portion of Queens, those settlements east of Jamaica before 1900 when Nassau County was established, following the creation of the City of Greater New York in 1898. Hempstead has historically been the center of commercial activity for the eastern counties of Long Island. In Nassau County, all major county roads emanate from this village. During the 18th and 19th centuries, all stagecoaches en route to eastern Long Island from Brooklyn passed through Hempstead. Today, seventeen bus routes and three interstate buses leave from the village every day. In addition, the Hempstead Branch of the Long Island Rail Road has its terminal here. At one time, there were three railroad companies with terminals within the village.[11]
In March 1898, Camp Black was formed on the Hempstead Plains (roughly the shared location of Hempstead and Garden City), in support of the impending Spanish–American War. Camp Black was bounded on the north by Old Country Road, on the west by Clinton Road, and on the south by the Central Line rail. Camp Black was opened on April 29, 1898, as a training facility and a point of embarkation for troops.[12]
Early Long Islanders made their living in agriculture or from the sea. Hempstead, with its central location, became the marketplace for the outlying rural farming communities. It was a natural progression, as the surrounding areas developed from small farms into today's suburbia, that Hempstead Village would remain as the marketplace. Chain department stores such as Arnold Constable and Abraham & Straus called Hempstead home for many years. Hempstead's Abraham & Straus was the largest grossing suburban department store in the country during the late 1960s. Hempstead was Nassau's retail center during the 1940s through the 1960s. The advent of regional shopping malls such as the one at nearby Roosevelt Field, the demise of nearby Mitchel Air Force Base in 1961 as well as the changing demographics put the retail trade in the village into a downward spiral that it was unable to recover from during the recessions of the 1970s and 1980s. A plethora of businesses left the village in the 1980s and early 1990s, including Abraham & Straus.[13]
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In the course of the 1990s the village saw redevelopment as a government center as well as business center.[14][15] There are more government employees from all levels of government in the village than there are in Mineola, the county seat. According to James York, the municipal historian, writing in 1998, the population during the day might rise to nearly 200,000, from a normal census of 50,000.[7] Retailers' interest in the village was rekindled, due to the aggressive revitalization efforts of former Mayor James Garner, who served from 1989 to 2005, and former Community Development Agency Commissioner, Glen Spiritis, who served under Garner's administration.[14][15] Specifically, two large tracts of retail property have recently undergone redevelopment. The former 8.8-acre (36,000 m2) Times Squares Stores (or TSS) property on Peninsula Boulevard and Franklin Street has been redeveloped as Hempstead Village Commons, a 100,000-square-foot (9,300 m2) retail center.[citation needed] The former Abraham & Straus department store on 17 acres (69,000 m2) has recently undergone demolition and been replaced by a large retail development and many other smaller establishments.[citation needed] A considerable infusion of state and federal funding as well as private investment have enabled the replacement of blighted storefronts, complete commercial building rehabilitations and the development of affordable housing for the local population. The replacement of the 1913 Long Island Rail Road Hempstead Terminal with a modern facility was completed in 2002,[16] and a four-story, 112-unit building for senior housing, with retail on the ground level was completed at Main and West Columbia Streets in January 1998. Thirty-two units of affordable townhouses known as Patterson Mews at Henry Street and Baldwin Road was completed and fully occupied in 1997.[citation needed]
In 1989, Hempstead residents elected James A. Garner as their mayor.[15] He was the first Black or African-American mayor ever elected to office on Long Island, and he served for four consecutive terms.[15] Subsequently, Wayne Hall, a former Village of Hempstead trustee who is also African American, served as mayor for three terms, from 2005 to 2017.[17][18]
The first African-American male judge, Lance Clarke, was elected in 2001. Cynthia Diaz-Wilson was the first female justice in the Village of Hempstead and first African American village justice in the state of New York.[citation needed]
In recent years, there has been concern regarding ongoing gang activity in certain neighborhoods, notably the "Heights", in addition to the issue of illegal rentals (homes/apartments that are illegally-subdivided by slumlords) and racial steering.[19] Hempstead was also one of the first Long Island communities to contend with the Salvadoran gang, MS-13.[20] The continual intra-violence this gang has exhibited has led to the formation of their arch-rivals, "SWP" or "Salvadorans with Pride". These issues have contributed to Hempstead's high crime rate as compared to other communities in the area.[20]
A 2019 investigation by Newsday revealed widespread racial discrimination by real estate agents on Long Island, including in Hempstead.[21]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 3.7 square miles (9.5 km2), all land.[22]
The Village of Hempstead differs from the majority of Nassau County as its population density is about 15,000 people per square mile—almost four times that of its neighbor on its northern border, Garden City.[23]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 2,316 | — | |
| 1880 | 2,521 | 8.9% | |
| 1890 | 4,831 | 91.6% | |
| 1900 | 3,582 | −25.9% | |
| 1910 | 4,964 | 38.6% | |
| 1920 | 6,382 | 28.6% | |
| 1930 | 12,650 | 98.2% | |
| 1940 | 20,856 | 64.9% | |
| 1950 | 29,135 | 39.7% | |
| 1960 | 34,641 | 18.9% | |
| 1970 | 39,411 | 13.8% | |
| 1980 | 40,404 | 2.5% | |
| 1990 | 49,453 | 22.4% | |
| 2000 | 56,554 | 14.4% | |
| 2010 | 53,891 | −4.7% | |
| 2020 | 59,169 | 9.8% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[24] | |||
| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000[25] | Pop 2010[26] | Pop 2020[27] | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 7,460 | 3,548 | 3,067 | 13.19% | 6.58% | 5.18% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 28,729 | 24,724 | 23,041 | 50.80% | 45.88% | 38.94% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 184 | 96 | 147 | 0.33% | 0.18% | 0.25% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 736 | 704 | 1,242 | 1.30% | 1.31% | 2.10% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 19 | 13 | 17 | 0.03% | 0.02% | 0.03% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 185 | 221 | 621 | 0.33% | 0.41% | 1.05% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 1,250 | 762 | 1,394 | 2.21% | 1.41% | 2.36% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 17,991 | 23,823 | 29,640 | 31.81% | 44.21% | 50.09% |
| Total | '56,554 | 53,891 | 59,169 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the census of 2010, there were 53,891 people, 15,234 households, and 10,945 families residing in the village. The racial makeup of the village was 21.9% White, 44.2% Hispanic, 48.3% Black or African American, 0.6% Native American, 1.4% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 22.8% from other races, and 5.0% from two or more races.
There were 16,034 households, out of which 38.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.0% were married couples living together, 27.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.4% were non-families. 20.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.41 and the average family size was 3.76.[28]
In the village, the population was spread out, with 26.2% under the age of 18, 16.3% from 18 to 24, 31.4% from 25 to 44, 17.5% from 45 to 64, and 8.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.4 males.[28]
The median income for a household in the village was $45,234 and the median income for a family was $46,675. Males had a median income of $29,493 versus $27,507 for females. The per capita income for the village was $15,735. About 14.4% of families and 17.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.7% of those under age 18 and 16.9% of those age 65 or over.[28]
As of August 2022, the Mayor of Hempstead is Waylyn Hobbs, Jr, the Deputy Mayor is Jeffery Daniels, and the Village Trustees are Kevin Boone, Noah Burroughs, Jeffery Daniels, and Clariona D. Griffith.[29][30]
In the 2024 U.S. presidential election, the majority of Hempstead voters voted for Kamala D. Harris (D).[31][32]
The community is served by the Hempstead Union Free School District.[23] Students attend Alverta B. Gray-Schultz Middle School and Hempstead High School for their secondary years of K-12 education.[33]
There is one private high school in Hempstead: Sacred Heart Academy, a private all-girls Catholic school.[23][34]
There are two charter schools located within the village: the Academy Charter School and Evergreen Charter School.[23]
Hofstra University's campus is partially located within the Village of Hempstead and is split between the village and its unincorporated neighbor, Uniondale.[6][23]
The Rosa Parks Hempstead Transit Center is one of the largest hubs in Nassau County.[35] It serves as the terminus of the Long Island Rail Road's Hempstead Branch, and is served by a number of Nassau Inter-County Express routes.[35][36]
| Bus route
number |
Runs to / from | Notes |
| n6 |
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|---|---|---|
| n6X | Express Service. | |
| n15 | ||
| n16 | ||
| n16C | ||
| n27 |
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| n31 |
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Via. West Broadway. |
| n31x |
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Via Peninsula Blvd |
| n32 |
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Via. Central Avenue. |
| n35 | ||
| n40 | Via. North Main Street. | |
| n41 |
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Via. North Main St |
| n48 |
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Via. Carmans Road. |
| n49 |
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Via. Newbridge Road. |
| n54 |
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Via. Jerusalem Ave / Washington Ave. |
| n55 |
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Via. Jerusalem Ave / Broadway. |
| n70 |
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Residents (native or lived) about whom an article exists, by date of birth:
Media related to Hempstead (village), New York at Wikimedia Commons
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This article's lead section may be too short to adequately summarize the key points. (December 2024)
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| Nassau County Sheriff's Department | |
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Seal of the Nassau County Sheriff's Department
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| Abbreviation | NCSD |
| Agency overview | |
| Formed | 1899 |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| Operations jurisdiction | Nassau County, New York, USA |
| Map of Nassau County Sheriff's Department's jurisdiction | |
| Size | 287 square miles (land)[1] 166 square miles (water) |
| Population | 1,334,544 |
| Legal jurisdiction | Nassau County, New York |
| General nature | |
| Operational structure | |
| Correction Officers | 835 |
| Deputy Sheriffs | 65 |
| Sheriff responsible | |
| Facilities | |
| Deputy Commands | County Building 240 & Family Court (Mineola, NY) |
| Jails | Correctional Facility (East Meadow, NY) |
| Website | |
| nassaucountyny.gov/1891/Sheriffs-Department | |
The Nassau County Sheriff's Department is one of the main law enforcement agencies of Nassau County, in New York, United States.
The office of the sheriff is historically traceable to Alfred the Great in late 9th century Anglo-Saxon England. The unified kingdom was delineated into shires, known today as counties. A king’s representative, known as a shire-reeve, was assigned to each county, acting on behalf of the king. English language would later evolve and over time the shire-reeve became known as the sheriff.[2] The long-standing tradition of the sheriff was brought to Long Island by its early English settlers. Long Island was delineated into three geographical boundaries known as ridings. The West riding comprised present-day Nassau, Queens, and Kings counties. The East riding comprised present-day Suffolk County. The North riding comprised the remaining territory. Each riding had a deputy sheriff and a high sheriff was appointed by the governor to oversee the collective ridings that came to be known as Yorkshire. The constitutional convention of 1821 abolished the practice of appointing a high sheriff and instead, each individual county would choose their own sheriff through an election by the people.[3] The office of the sheriff is the oldest law enforcement position in the United States.[4]
In 1898, with approval from the New York State Legislature, the towns of Oyster Bay, North Hempstead, and a large portion of the Town of Hempstead were separated from Queens County officially forming the County of Nassau on January 1, 1899.[5] The newly created Nassau County would have William H Wood as its first elected sheriff.[6] Sheriff Wood went on to appoint Henry W Skinner as his undersheriff and also appointed the first deputy sheriff's thus making the Nassau County Sheriff's Department the oldest law enforcement agency in Nassau County. The Nassau County Sheriff's Department went on to play a vital role in the early foundation of law enforcement in Nassau County.
In 1900 the Nassau County Board of Supervisors approved the construction of the first Nassau County Jail to be under the control of the Sheriff's Department. The jail was built as an addition to the rear of the county courthouse located in Mineola. The jail consisted of multiple floors and wings which provided separate housing for men and women. It also provided a space in the center for jailors and Matron to operate within.[7] In 1950, to keep pace with Nassau County’s booming population, the county constructed a new correctional center located in East Meadow, New York. The East Meadow correctional center has received multiple additions since its inception and remains the central hub for all Division of Corrections operations.
In 1915, the Nassau County Sheriff's Department played a pivotal part in the implementation of a public safety telecommunications system devised by Charles A Ryder of the New York Telephone Company. With the Sheriff's Department at the helm, the system connected the various scattered county, town, and city law enforcement agencies within the county to a central hub. This system enabled law enforcement throughout the county to easily and effectively communicate pertinent information regarding reported crimes in progress with one another. All law enforcement throughout Nassau County could be alerted to an incident if required.[8]
By the 1920s New York City had begun to blend into Nassau County's western border. As a consequence to the prohibition of alcohol organized crime also began to boom. In 1925 due to rising concerns for public safety the Nassau County Police Department was founded. At the time of its formation, the Police Department was composed of fifty-five deputy sheriffs who were absorbed from the Nassau County Sheriff's Department.[9] Today, the Nassau County Sheriff's Department employs approximately 1200 people including civilian staff, correction officers, and deputy sheriffs.
The Nassau County Sheriff's Department is organized into two distinct divisions known as the Division of Corrections and the Division of Enforcement. The Division of Corrections is responsible for all aspects of the county’s correctional facility (jail). The Division of Enforcement executes orders from the New York state courts and enforces both civil and criminal law throughout the county.
| Title | Insignia | Duties |
|---|---|---|
| Sheriff |
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The sheriff is first in command |
| Undersheriff |
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The undersheriff is second in command |
The Division of Corrections is staffed by correction officers who are sworn peace officers pursuant to Article 2.10 Subsection 25 of the states Criminal Procedure Law.[14] The mission of the Division of Corrections is to provide a safe and secure environment for staff and inmates. Correction officers provide for the care, custody, control, and rehabilitation of detainees and inmates committed to its custody by the judiciary. In this regard, the department is required to comply with all laws, specifically correction law, oversight agencies such as the New York State Commission of Corrections, existing consent decrees, and court mandates.[15]
The Division of Enforcement is staffed by deputy sheriffs who are sworn NYS-certified police officers pursuant to Article 1.20 Subsection 34(B) of the states Criminal Procedure Law.[16] The mission of the Division of Enforcement is to carry out the orders of the New York State Courts. This includes the execution of warrants, the discovery and seizure of property, the serving of civil process, and to conduct evictions.[17] Deputy Sheriffs draw their authority to enforce both criminal and civil law from the NYS Criminal Procedure Law, NYS Constitution, and the Nassau County Charter.[18]
The Nassau County Sheriff's Department employs both non-uniformed and uniformed civilians (non–law enforcement). These civilians support the administrative and logistical needs of the department by carrying out various duties as it relates to their positions.
Since the establishment of the Nassau County Sheriff's Department, 4 corrections officers have died in the line of duty.
| Officer | Date of death | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Corrections Officer George H. Klimpel[19] | Friday, December 12, 1986 | Automobile Accident |
| Corrections Officer Maureen F. Callanan[20] | Friday, December 12, 1986 | Automobile Accident |
| Corrections Officer Anthony L. Brown[21] | Sunday, June 18, 1995 | Gunfire |
| Corrections Officer John R. Allen[22] | Wednesday, March 16, 2005 | Fall |
In August 1965 the Nassau County County Board of Supervisors, the predecessor to the County Legislature, passed a resolution (to begin in 1968) for a local proposal granting the county executive the authority to appoint a county sheriff if approved by the majority of the board. In November 1965 the proposal was put to a vote by county residents and passed. Joseph F. Maher was sworn in as the first appointed sheriff in Nassau County history On Jan. 1, 1968.[23]
Article XIII of the current New York State Constitution states,
Except in counties in the city of New York and except as authorized in section one of article nine of this constitution, registers in counties having registers shall be chosen by the electors of the respective counties once in every three years and whenever the occurring of vacancies shall require; the sheriff and the clerk of each county shall be chosen by the electors once in every three or four years as the legislature shall direct.[24]
While there is an exemption allowing an appointed sheriff in the 5 counties within the City of New York, no such exemption exists for Nassau County. Of the 62 counties in New York State, Nassau County is the only county without exemption in the New York State Constitution to have an appointed sheriff which has led some to question the constitutionality of having an appointed sheriff for Nassau County.[25] The appointment of a sheriff in Nassau County has not yet been challenged through the courts.
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| Nassau County Police Department | |
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Patch of the Nassau County Police Department
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Seal of the Nassau County Police Department
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Flag of the Nassau County Police Department
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| Abbreviation | NCPD |
| Agency overview | |
| Formed | 1925 |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| Operations jurisdiction | Nassau County, New York, USA |
| Map of Nassau County Police Department's jurisdiction | |
| Size | 287 square miles (land)[1] 166 square miles (water) |
| Population | 1,334,544 |
| Legal jurisdiction | Nassau County, New York |
| General nature | |
| Operational structure | |
| Police Officers | 2,400 (2018)[2] |
| Police Commissioner responsible | |
| Agency executive | |
| 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 and Nassau County Police and abbreviated as NCPD) is the law enforcement agency of Nassau County, on Long Island, New York, United States.
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 9mm SIG Sauer P226 semi-automatic pistols to replace older .38 Special revolvers.
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.
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 Manhasset Bay. The Aviation Bureau followed a year later with the gift of a Stinson airplane from wealthy county residents. The aircraft was grounded by World War II, but the air unit was revived in 1968 with the purchase of four helicopters to assist in pursuits and medical evacuations. The elite Highway Patrol Bureau, which covers the Long Island Expressway and the Seaford-Oyster Bay Expressway and includes motorcycle officers, was founded in 1935. All police vehicles are now equipped with computer keyboards, and, since 1973, air conditioning.
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 auxiliary police program, a bureau of special operations (SWAT and anti-crime combined) and an Emergency Services Unit (ESU), that are usually found only in the police departments of large cities. The department has also adopted its own system for computerized tracking of crime information known as NASSTAT, now called Strat-Com.[11]
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 Smith & Wesson revolvers for the 15-round, nine-millimeter SIG P226 semi-automatic pistol. In 2009, the department announced it is switching over to the SIG P229 and SIG P226, chambered for .40 S&W with the Double Action Kellerman (DAK) trigger and integral accessory rail as the new standard firearm. In September 2023, the NCPD began transitioning to the Glock Model 45, chambered in 9mm. Also, officers are re-equipping with expandable batons to replace the straight wooden nightstick.
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.
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 Chevrolet Impala 9C1. The Ford Crown Victoria was still purchased, albeit in smaller quantities. The department favored the "CVPI" due to the rear-wheel drive and V8 configuration. The department switched back to the Crown Victoria in 2006. Few Impalas are still in service in 2019.
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 Ford Utility Interceptor as their main choice for RMP. Today, the Ford Utility Interceptor is the most widely used car in the fleet.
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 villages and special districts within Nassau County that have their own independent police forces, which are:
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.
Promotion to the ranks of sergeant, lieutenant, and police captain are made via competitive civil service examinations. Promotion to the ranks of detective, detective sergeant, detective lieutenant, detective captain, deputy inspector, inspector and chief are made at the discretion of the police commissioner.
| 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 |
| Detective or Police Officer |
The Nassau County Police Department also employs School Crossing Guards, Communication/911 operators, Police Service Aids, Clerk/Typists, Mechanics and Public Safety Officers.
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,[15] which is taught by state-certified instructors at the Nassau County Police Academy. Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) training is also available to all officers after certain criteria are met. Basic academy training includes: peace officer powers, New York State Penal Law, hazardous materials awareness, baton training, blood-borne pathogens, basic first aid/CPR, 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.
In addition to police officers, the department also employs hundreds of civilian Police Medics (PMs) who consist of Critical Care Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT-CCs) and Paramedics. The title “police medic“ is the most recent title given to these employees, who were previously known as “Ambulance medical technicians“ (AMT's).
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 operated 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.
Nassau officers (along with their counterparts in the Suffolk County Police Department), have long been known for having among the highest police pay and benefit packages in the nation, especially when compared with the New York Police Department. In December 2022, County officials and the union representing Nassau Police officers agreed on an 8+1⁄2-year contract, which would run retroactively from Jan. 1, 2018 until July 1, 2026, and increase the top base pay for officers from $122,000 to $141,000 (excluding overtime, night differential, longevity pay, $3,000 per officer for wearing body cams and other benefits). Starting pay for new officers would also be increased from $35,000 to $37,333.[17]
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 Williston Park, the academy facilities were "temporarily" relocated for a decade in trailers on the grounds of the county jail in East Meadow. In May 2006, the Suozzi administration announced the academy would move into yet another converted school, this one in Massapequa.[24] A purpose-built police academy, located on the campus of Nassau County Community College in Uniondale, opened in 2021.[25]
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman – upon taking office in 2022 – started a hiring program to increase the ranks of Nassau County Police in direct opposition to the defund the police movement. He hired 100 additional police officers in just his first 18 months in office.
The Nassau County Police investigated the hunt for The Honeymoon Killers Raymond Fernandez and Martha Beck in the late 1940s,[26] the Weinberger kidnapping[27] of 1956 (on which the 2002 Robert De Niro film City by the Sea was very loosely based), the 1974 kidnapping of Jack Teich, the 1986 murder of yeshiva student Chaim Weiss,[28] the crash of Avianca Flight 52 in Cove Neck in 1990, the Joey Buttafuoco/Amy Fisher imbroglio, and the shootings committed aboard a Long Island Rail Road commuter train by Colin Ferguson in 1993. Among the NCPD's few large-scale, high-profile security events have been the 1998 Goodwill Games, which took place largely in Nassau County, and the third 2008 presidential debate, which took place at Hofstra University in Hempstead. Nassau officers also participated in the recovery effort at the World Trade Center site in September 2001.
In the history of the Nassau County Police Department, 49 police officers have died while on duty.[29]
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