Letters: Nassau precinct plan in cross fire

I am ashamed and embarrassed by the actions of Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano, our new acting police commissioner, Thomas Dale, and mostly by our county legislature.

Columnist Joye Brown had it right when she said that this is not about advances in technology or finances ["Nassau revamp a way to avoid cop union rules," News, Feb. 14]. This is about minimum staffing, which is a safety issue for both the police officer on the street and for the residents. However, the bigger picture is that they are hoping to run Nassau County like New York City; hence this is why they hired Dale, who was with the New York City Police Department.

No explanation has been given why $44 million for unpaid parking tickets and red-light camera violations is yet to be collected. No one is addressing the mismanagement of Nassau County. How much money and givebacks can come from one portion of a workforce, the police department?

I attended a meeting about the closing of the precincts and was appalled. There was no credible financial proof that the county would save money.

My husband is a Nassau County police officer, and what county officials have failed to mention is that we are down approximately 200 police officers already. When an officer's salary is published, most of that money is not the base pay but includes overtime. And overtime is needed because the department has fewer officers to handle the crime on the street.

Donna DeSantis, Baldwin

In the past, I have written letters to criticize County Executive Edward Mangano for using financial gimmickry -- such as the sale of the Mitchel Field lease payments -- to close the hole in Nassau's budget. So when he steps up to the plate to make a necessary but unpopular structural change to honestly save taxpayers money, I feel impelled to defend him.

The consolidation and revamping of the Nassau County police department was certain to ruffle some feathers. However, it appears to be a well-thought-out plan, developed with the input of many and, most important, does not reduce the number of patrol cars on the road. Taxpayer residents can't ask for much more than that.

The projected savings is just a small first step that barely begins to address Nassau County's dire financial situation. However, it symbolizes the tough steps necessary to deal with deficit issues now, instead of taking the easy, yet despicable, way out by passing budget problems on to our kids.

There are surely other places for savings in Nassau County's enormous bureaucracy. It would be refreshing if the Democratic members of the Nassau County Legislature would stand side by side with Mangano, as a team, to find other substantial savings, instead of blindly leading down a road that ends in the same place as the Greek economy. More changes are needed.

Ray Xerri, Oceanside

Wait a minute, Nassau residents are upset with County Executive Edward Mangano for cutting the police force? I thought conservatives supported smaller government.

Mark Brady, Dix Hills

Dutch Broadway is a straight, four-lane, east-west road from Franklin Square to the Queens border. Criminals can use it to escape the jurisdiction of the Nassau police.

The presence of the Fifth Precinct on Dutch Broadway is a deterrent. If the precinct is downsized to a "community policing center," the criminals will laugh as they zoom by.

Frances Kraus, Elmont