Bruce Blakeman and local armed militia, NYPD officer fatally shot, LIRR fare beaters, St. John's snubbing NIT

Local armed militia a recipe for disaster

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman’s call to armed residents to come and play deputy “during an emergency” is a recipe for disaster [“Blakeman’s special deputies,” News, March 27].

Legis. Howard Kopel believes that “these people would be carefully vetted and trained.” He should remember the adage about “assumptions.”

Even with proper training, can that possibly be enough training? Law enforcement goes through hours and hours of training to learn how to deescalate situations and, even with years of experience, they sometimes are unable to call upon that training in difficult situations, the results of which can be devastating.

To think that minimally trained private residents who respond to this call for an unnecessary militia will have the personal fortitude to restrict their actions and follow directions of law enforcement in the heat of the moment is absurd.

— Ruth Crystal, Baldwin

Thank you, Nassau County Legis. Delia DeRiggi-Whitton, for speaking out strongly against Bruce Blakeman’s awful idea. We already have a regulated and well-trained militia, the National Guard. Is this another insult to Gov. Kathy Hochul, who has authority to call out the guard?

— Steve Rolston, Baldwin

The Las Vegas Sands casino proposal, subway vigilante news conference, transgender athletes ban, and now Bruce Blakeman, apparently to appeal to the right wing, is calling on residents to become provisional deputy sheriffs. Why doesn’t he just get it over with and announce he plans to run for governor? How do these issues benefit Nassau County residents?

Maybe he should clean up the property tax assessment mess first.

— Rob Alexander, Mineola

How many arrests before we feel safe?

As the aunt of an NYPD officer, I just have one question: How many times does a criminal have to be arrested before the “justice” system decides that this person is a career criminal, is never going to change and is locked up and the key thrown away?

I know the number must be greater than at least 16 because that’s the number of times NYPD Officer Jonathan E. Diller’s suspected shooter had been arrested [“Officer, suspect struggled before shot fired,” News, March 27]. Now, a little boy will never see his daddy again. This is shameful.

— Christine Harrington, South Farmingdale

The March 27 front-page headline “He was a true hero” should compel law-abiding New Yorkers to consider change among lenient Albany legislators.

The suspect who allegedly shot Jonathan E. Diller had at least 16 prior arrests, including felonies. Do some Albany legislators place releasing career criminals above law-abiding New Yorkers and law enforcement?

State laws have allowed criminal recidivism to be the norm while many of our legislators with some of the nation’s highest salaries sit silently in Albany.

A bumper sticker I recently saw says volumes: “If You’re Not Outraged, You’re Not Paying Attention.” It’s time that our legislators address this issue of repeat felons returning to our streets.

— Joe Campbell, Port Washington

Get all fare beaters, not just plate cheats

Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams’ new task force focusing on vehicles with fake and adulterated license plates is a step in combatting toll evaders [“ ‘Ghost cars’ to be targeted by task force,” News, March 13]. While applaudable, it contrasts with unequal prosecution of people who cheat the system.

Enforcement efforts should be evenly applied to fare evasion on all modes of transportation, including subways and the Long Island Rail Road. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority says it loses $700 million a year. Recouping unpaid fares could defray the cost of enforcement.

The bigger, intangible cost is the broad pathology to our society in which law-abiding people feel like suckers, seeing a system that allows cheaters to succeed.

— Michael Sullivan, Garden City

St. John’s snubbing NIT unfair to seniors

I believe the St. John’s men’s basketball team was unfairly left out of the NCAA Tournament [“St. John’s falls short of joining the field of 68,” Sports, March 18].

But I also think it was unfair for coach Rick Pitino to decide to decline an invitation to play in the National Invitation Tournament.

Maybe he should have given some thought to the six seniors who might have liked the chance to bring home a trophy to the university they represent while proving that they really belonged at the Big Dance. Bad move, coach.

— Michael Palermo, Seaford