Dear Resident,

As the newly appointed acting Chief of Police, I wanted to take this opportunity to provide our residents with an update on the state of the Police Department in light of the Village of Muttontown withdrawing from our police protection contract and thus reducing our operating budget by over three million dollars.

The loss of a village and the corresponding multi-million dollar decrease in our operating budget has led to a needed reduction in the size of our workforce. Muttontown had accounted for approximately 25% of our jurisdiction and population and we have reduced our marked patrols units by an equivalent amount. This reduction in patrol units will be monitored very closely to insure that response times and the services these officers provide to our communities will remain the same as they have always been. We will continue our targeted, pro-active policing strategies and work diligently to offset these reductions.

Our dispatch service will continue as usual. Our police communication operators are well-trained and have a wealth of experience dealing with the residents of our villages. They have access to critical information and a detailed knowledge of the area allowing an enhanced response to any calls for service.We will continue to provide this valuable service 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Our detective services will now be provided by the Nassau County Police Department 2nd Squad in Woodbury. We have always maintained a close working relationship with the 2nd Squad detectives and this service is funded under the Police Headquarters portion of your existing Nassau County tax bill. Our current fiscal and manpower constraints have forced us to place our detectives back in uniform and on patrol. Our patrol force is the backbone of our Department and the most essential of our functions and needs to be adequately staffed. These detective services will also be strictly monitored to insure that our residents still receive a proper investigatory response should we need to avail ourselves of this service.

Even with these staff reductions, we are left with a core of dedicated, veteran police officers and our mission will remain unchanged. We will continue to protect and serve our six village jurisdiction with integrity and professionalism. Each of our officers strongly believes that the safety and security of our residents is paramount. We will continue to provide the most personal and professional of police service that you deserve and have come to expect. I want to assure you that public safety has not and will not be compromised in anyway by these new staffing levels. Your interest and participation will also be vital to our continued success and I welcome your input in order to address your needs and concerns.

Sincerely,

Richard H. Smith

Acting Chief of Police

TO PROTECT AND SERVE WITH

INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM