_________________ FREEPORT _________________
HERALD Also serving Roosevelt
New principals are hired
Roosevelt schools pass budget
Excitement for FIFA World Cup
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Vol. 91 No. 23
JUNE 4 - 10, 2026
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Are Freeport schools secure enough? The board, led by President Sunday Coward, told the public that it would investigate the While Freeport residents matter in the hope of preventand community leaders agree ing any further confusion. The that school safety and security board had not provided a public should be a high priority for update on its investigation as both the village and the school the Herald went to press. Beyond the mismanagement, district, many disagree on how Coward and her felto maintain that low trustees loudly security. Since the voiced their displeaHerald reported the sure with the very appearance of large existence of metal walk-through metal detectors in Freedetectors at the high port schools, stating school on April 20, that they were there has been “livid,” and regardmuch debate on ed the potential use whether such of detectors on stumachinery is necesdents and staff as sary or appropriate virtually inhumane. for district schools. At a board meeting How secure are last month, Coward Freeport schools? made it clear that Are order and safeshe felt the metal ty maintained at a PEggy lEStER detectors send a level where extra Freeport resident negative message to security measures the school commuwould be a luxury? Or is more vigilance needed in nity, especially students, and a country with seemingly that their use would encourage omnipresent school shootings a “school-to-prison pipeline.” “I apologize to the communiand violence? T h e p r i m a r y c o m p l a i n t ty that we had people who even about the metal detectors was thought those things belonged that few people, aside from in our school,” Coward said. Board of Education trustees, “That tells me that we’ve got to were aware of their purchase. Continued on page 5
By ANDREW FRANCIS
afrancis@liherald.com
I
Courtesy Village of Freeport
det. Sgt. Matthew Seridge, Mayor Robert Kennedy and officer nick deSalvo test the Freeport police department’s new and improved police boat.
Village operates new police boat to safeguard waterways By ANDREW FRANCIS afrancis@liherald.com
The Village of Freeport and its Police Department officially placed into operation a new state-of-the-art marine patrol vessel on May 28, designed to make significant improvements to public safety on Long Island’s waterways and Freeport’s shores. The village obtained the new patrol vessel after being awarded a $250,000 grant courtesy of former State Sen. Kevin Thomas, who represented Nassau County’s 6th District, from 2019 to 2024. The village placed the order for the boat about a year
and a half ago, according to Freeport Mayor Robert Kennedy, and the vessel finally arrived from the state of Washington in January of this year. “Senator Thomas saved our residents a quarter of a million dollars, which would have been over $200 a resident to pay for that boat,” Kennedy said. The Village of Freeport, which is home to the largest recreational boating fleet in Nassau County, continues to expand its marine safety and emergency response capabilities as boating accidents and fatalities, especially those resulting from operating boats Continued on page 2
question the motives of anyone who is against protecting the kids as well as the adults affected.