INCORPORATING THE WEST HEMPSTEAD BEACON VOL. 75 No. 25
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June 19 - 25, 2025
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Hempstead seniors learn to avoid scam traps People urged to change passwords, stay alert By REINE BETHANY Special to the Herald
Nearly 25 residents of General Douglas MacArthur Village at 260 Clinton St. in Hempstead sharply diminished their chances of falling prey to a scam. Through the auspices of the New Greater Hempstead Chamber of Commerce Committee on Aging, and courtesy of the Office of Nassau County Executive Bruce A. Blakeman, Nora Durand from the Office of Crime Victim Advocate presented a series of slides that explained how to recognize scams and avoid becoming a victim on June 9. The training statistically reduces the likelihood of scam victimization by 80 percent studies have shown. The Chamber’s Committee on Aging dedicates itself to connecting with county, village and town resources to serve Hempstead senior citizens. Committee members Lamont Johnson, Timothy Edwards and Regis Thompson-Inuwa answer questions and take suggestions from the seniors through the Chamber phone number (516) 292-3800. “Our Senior Committee is very dedicated to the needs and the welfare of our seniors,” said Chamber president LaShawn Lukes. Highlighting the two information tables at the back of the meeting room, COntinued On Page 6
Courtesy Reine Bethany
Residents of general douglas Macarthur Senior Village clustered around a table of information packets from the nassau County Office for the aging and the nassau County Office of Crime Victim advocate after a Senior Scam awareness workshop on June 16. the workshop was arranged through the new greater Hempstead Chamber of Commerce.
Roosevelt residents feeling less safe: officials Funding cuts to remove illegal guns, ICE raids have community on edge By MASHIAT AZMI Intern
Cuts to public safety programs and n ew c o n c e r n s ove r i m m i g r at i o n enforcement have prompted residents in Roosevelt and Freeport to feel more uneasy about their community, according to local elected officials, who are deter mined to tur n that perception around. Assemblyman Noah Burroughs, who represents the District 18 communities of Freeport and Roosevelt, is calling for increased federal investment in Roosevelt, particularly for programs like SNUG, an evidence-based violence
reduction initiative launched in New York State in 2009. This program seeks to engage highrisk individuals who are causing violence in communities with high rates of violent crime, address the issues that may be causing high-risk individuals to engage in gun violence, and share with the community how violence is spread. Gun Buy Back, which aims to remove illegal firearms from the streets, is another program Burroughs cited. It’s an initiative where individuals can voluntarily surrender firear ms to law enforcement or other authorized organizations in exchange for compensation, often in the form of cash or gift cards.
“Those programs are designed to take illegal guns off the street, make it safer for people in the community,” Burroughs said. “It’s been very successful over the past few years.” But federal budget cuts have reduced funding for these initiatives, raising alarm among elected officials. “I think that’s terrible,” Nassau
County Legislator Debra Mulé, whose district encompasses Roosevelt, said. “I think that is part of an effort to give tax cuts to wealthy people.” Burroughs stressed that maintaining these crime prevention programs is crucial to keeping Roosevelt safe. Mulé echoed that sentiment, referring to RoosCOntinued On Page 4