________________ HEMPSTEAD _______________
BEACON Incorporating The West Hempstead Beacon
Upgrades at public library
Job fair on Sept. 3
Swans a summer swimming
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VoL. 76 No. 32
AUGUST 6-12, 2026
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Lawsuit opposes charter school By ALYSSA R. GRIFFIN agriffin@liherald.com
Courtesy Hempstead village
Hempstead Mayor Waylyn Hobbs Jr. discusses what the village has done and is doing to have no shootings in the first six months of the year.
Hempstead reports no shootings By JEFFREY BESSEN jbessen@liherald.com
The Village of Hempstead recorded zero shootings during the first six months of 2026, a significant public safety milestone that village officials credit to proactive policing, community engagement and strategic deployment of officers. According to the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services, the village reported no shootings from January through June, compared with four during the same period last year. Village officials announced the figures July 29 while also unveiling expanded foot and bicycle patrols in the downtown business district, around the Long Island Rail Road station and the NICE Bus terminal, as well as an enhanced police drone program designed to improve response times and
crime prevention. Mayor Waylyn Hobbs Jr. and Police Chief Richard Holland said the initiatives build on a policing strategy that emphasizes visibility, accessibility and strong relationships with residents and business owners. “We are here to announce the great news we just received from the Department of Justice that Hempstead is one of the many villages or cities that received a grant,” Hobbs said. “We are the only who received the grant that as of today (July 29) has had zero shootings, zero homicides, zero injuries with firearms.” The department has certified 20 officers for bicycle patrol, with as many as six assigned each day to patrol downtown streets and village parks. The village also Continued on page 4
The New York State United Teachers has filed a lawsuit seeking to block Diamond Charter School in Hempstead from temporarily relocating to West Hempstead, just weeks before it is scheduled to open for its inaugural school year this September. The petition, filed in Albany County Supreme Court by the teachers’ union, along with parents and educators from Hempstead and West Hempstead, seeks a preliminary injunction and temporary restraining order against the State University of New York Board of Trustees, SUNY Charter Schools Committee, SUNY Charter Schools Institute and Diamond Charter School. T h e l aw s u i t ch a l l e n g e s SUNY’s approval of the school’s temporary relocation to West Hempstead while its permanent Hempstead facility is under construction. Diamond Charter School, which was authorized by the SUNY Charter Schools Institute in 2024, plans to open this fall temporarily at 12 Westminster Road in West Hempstead, while their planned permanent location at 131 Fulton Ave, Hempstead is renovated. The lawsuit alleges SUNY approved the relocation without completing analyses required under state law regarding the impact the move would have on
families and school districts. The suit also contends that the approval moved forward despite widespread public opposition. The lawsuit notes that the Board of Regents voted in May to reject the proposed relocation and returned it to the SUNY Charter Schools Committee for reconsideration, citing concerns about public opposition, transportation, enrollment, transparency and the analysis supporting the move. According to NYSUT, the committee later approved the temporary move a second time. “This isn’t just about one school,” NYSUT President Melinda Person said. “It’s about two communities that were ignored.” “People in Hempstead and West Hempstead spoke out, showed up and made their concerns clear, but SUNY Charter Schools Committee pushed ahead anyway. This pattern of blatant disregard for the law and for the communities our public institutions are supposed to support is why we’re asking the court to step in.” According to the lawsuit, the relocation could have financial and logistical impacts on both Hempstead and West Hempstead and create uncertainty for students because charter schools prioritize admissions in the district where they are located. Mark Crusante, founder and executive director of Diamond Charter School, said the lawsuit Continued on page 3