LI CRIME BRIEFS

NASSAU COUNTY/Gifts to police foundation

The Nassau Police Department Foundation Monday announced the donation of $65,000 worth of equipment to the county's auxiliary police and advanced medical technicians.

The 600 high-visibility raincoats, hat covers and safety vests were the first gift of new equipment to the auxiliary police, which comprises volunteers patrolling neighborhoods, the police department said.

"It was critical that we obtained these new OSHA regulated items," said Nassau Police Commissioner Thomas Dale. "Due to budgetary constraints we needed the support of the foundation to ensure that we would be able to provide our members with this important equipment."

The foundation is a nonprofit organization that provides financial support to the police department.

-- KEVIN DEUTSCH

SELDEN/Fire erupts in family car

Any parent can tell you teaching a child how to drive can get you hot under the collar.

But the smoke during a Sunday afternoon father-daughter driving lesson in Selden turned out to be from a fire under the hood of the car, police said.

The father and daughter, neither of whom was identified, managed to escape the 1997 Dodge Stratus before it became fully engulfed by flames, Suffolk County police said. Neither was injured. Police said the fire occurred at about 5 p.m. Sunday on Wyanet Street.

"A man was teaching his daughter how to drive," a police spokeswoman said, "when they noticed smoke coming from under the hood. They got out of the car safely. Flames appeared and the car became fully engulfed."

Police said firefighters from the Selden Fire Department extinguished the blaze. The Brookhaven fire marshal investigated, but the cause of the fire was not released -- other than for police to report it was accidental.

-- JOHN VALENTI

SEAFORD/CVS pharmacy robbed

Two masked men robbed a Seaford pharmacy at gunpoint early Monday, Nassau County police said.

Seventh Squad detectives are investigating the robbery at about 2:47 a.m. of the CVS at 2250 Seamans Neck Road.

Two men wearing masks entered the pharmacy, and one showed a black handgun, police said. They demanded money from the shift manager on duty and had him open the store safe in the office.

After getting an undisclosed amount of cash, the pair went out the front door and fled in an unknown direction, police said. Police reported no injuries. Anyone with information can call Crime Stoppers at 800-800-244-8477. All calls will be kept confidential.

-- Gary Dymski

SUFFOLK COUNTY/2 crashes into utility poles

Cars crashed into utility poles in two separate incidents in Suffolk County on Sunday night and early Monday, police said.

A Suffolk County police spokeswoman said no serious injuries were reported in either accident.

The accidents, which occurred in Greenlawn and Central Islip, resulted in road closures and required emergency LIPA repairs, police said.

The first accident occurred at 11:44 p.m. near the intersection of Broadway and Lantern Street in Greenlawn and closed southbound Broadway at Depew Street, police said. In that case, one person was transported to Huntington Hospital.

The road reopened at 3:10 a.m. Monday, police said.

The second accident occurred on Brier Street at 4:43 a.m. and closed Brier between Bark and Root avenues, police said. Police said LIPA was notified. -- John Valenti