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Friday, December 2, 2022
Vol. 97, No. 48
GUIDE TO THE HOLIDAYS
LOLA OWNER DIES DURING NICOLELLO EYES REDISTRICTING IRONMAN CONTEST
PAGES 25-32
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491 complaints reported in ‘21 by Nassau PD
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TA K E F L I G H T
NYCLU calls for department to show misconduct records prior to 2020 BY R OB E RT PE L A E Z A total of 491 complaints were filed against the Nassau County Police Department in 2021, the highest number since 507 were reported in 2016, according to statistics outlined in the department’s annual police reform report. The total included 203 improper procedure complaints, 148 for unprofessional conduct, 28 for excessive force, 17 for neglect of duty, 15 for unlawful conduct, 9 for racial/ethnic bias and 9 for false arrest. In 2017, a total of 434 complaints were reported, followed by 438 in 2018, 456 in 2019 and 291 as of October 2020. Statistics did not show how many complaints were filed from November-December 2020. Of the 491 complaints, a total of 66 were ‘founded’ by Nassau police, the statistics showed. From 2016 to 2021, 30 people won court judgments against the Nassau County Police Departments for 41 allegations of false arrest and excessive force, according to an article in the Gothamist, an online publication. For 38 of the allegations, the Nassau County Attorney’s Office funded case settlements while prohibiting the accuser to publicly speak on the allegations, the story said. No cases of false arrest and exces-
sive force were ‘founded’ from 20162021. The statistics were released by the Nassau County Police Department in its annual police reform report submitted to the county. The department is required to submit a yearly police reform report in accordance with an executive order signed into law by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in 2020. The order requires police agencies to devise plans to “reinvent and modernize police strategies” after Minneapolis police killed George Floyd two years ago. The New York Civil Liberties Union, in ongoing litigation against the Nassau County Police Department, has sought department misconduct records. The department has denied their requests despite the repeal of Civil Rights Law 50-a in 2020, which permitted police departments from disclosing misconduct and other personnel records. A lower court sided with the Nassau Police Department Department, a decision appealed by the New York Civil Liberties Union. The Civil Liberties Union, according to court documents, filed a Freedom of Information Law request with the Nassau County Police Department in September 2020. Continued on Page 46
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE GREAT NECK SCHOOL DISTRICT
South Middle School students took a trip to the Cradle of Aviation Museum to explore and interact with exhibits.
Hu, Lancman narrowly elected to library board BY R OB E RT PE L A E Z Great Neck Library Board President Liman Mimi Hu and Rory Lancman were victorious in a contentious election against a pair of
candidates who filed challenges and a subsequent lawsuit over a handful of absentee and proxy ballots. Hu defeated challenger Jessica Hughes 1,760-1,753 for another four-year term on the board, while
Lancman defeated Rusu 1,6831,626, according to certified election results. Fellow trustee candidate Karen Hirch Romero received 154 votes. Continued on Page 47
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