Nassau police on lookout for Halloween weekend vandals

Halloween pranksters beware. Nassau County police will be on the lookout for vandals interested in turning a night of trick-or-treating fun into a night of mayhem.

And, Nassau police Det. Lt. Kevin Smith said Friday, the police will provide a special presence in Bayville, where a curfew on teens younger than 19 will be in place from 7 p.m. Saturday through 6 a.m. Sunday and again for the same period Sunday night into Monday.

"We get their name and address and warn them they've got to go home," Smith said of the Bayville ban. "Second time we see them we take them home. Third time, anyone who's less than 19 years old - 16, 17, 18 - there's a fine and they also get an appearance ticket. . . . We're taking the same precautions we always do."

Suffolk police Asst. Chief Patrick A. Cuff said that on Halloween, officers who normally work as plainclothes investigators in the precincts will work as uniformed police on patrol for the 3-11 p.m. shift; four officers from the marine bureau will patrol in the Third Precinct; COPE officers will be on patrol as well as officers from the canine, emergency service and crime scene departments when they are not on assignment. Auxiliary police officers will also be working.

"And, as we do every year, if necessary we bring our night officers in earlier," Cuff said. "It will be up to the precinct commander based on call volume."

Bayville Mayor Doug Watson said the curfew mandates that anyone younger than 19 who isn't home between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. on Oct. 30 and 31 must have the permission of their parents - and violators are liable for a $250 fine and 15 days in jail.

He said since the law was put into place in 1995, he is not aware of anyone getting arrested.

"If a kid is going to a school function, or is with their parent or has a note from their parent, they're OK," Watson said. "This is not to go out and round up kids; it really has worked like a charm."