Serving Williston Park, East Williston, Mineola, Albertson and Searingtown
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Friday, October 14, 2022
Vol. 71, No. 41
COVERT AVE. STREET FAIR
PEREIRA HITS HOCHUL OYSTERFEST ON 3RD TRACK WORK RETURNS
PAGES 23-30
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Nassau on pace for 34% major crimes increase 32% increase in grand larcenies leads spike over first eight months BY R OB E RT PE L A E Z Nassau County is on pace for more than 7,000 major crimes this year, roughly a 34% increase over the 5,230 major crimes reported throughout the county in 2021, according to statistics from the Nassau County Police Department. A total of 4,675 major crimes took place in Nassau County through the first eight months of the year, nearly 90% of the total major crimes the county reported all of 2021, according to crime statistics obtained by Blank Slate Media under a Freedom of Information Law request submitted to the Nassau County Police Department. Nassau has provided monthly crime statistics that were posted online in the past, but the county has not updated them since March. Aside from grand larceny, the list of major crimes includes murder, rape, criminal sexual acts, sexual abuse, commercial robberies, other robberies, assault felonies, residential burglaries, other burglaries and stolen vehicles. In 2021, a total of 3,201 or 61% of the county’s major crimes were grand larcenies, the highest percentage out of all other crimes, according to the statistics. During the first eight months of 2022, county numbers show a total of 2,809 grand larcenies accounted for 60% of Nassau’s major crimes. Nassau County
is on pace to report more than 4,200 grand larcenies this year, an increase of roughly 32% from 2021. A total of 560 vehicles were stolen in Nassau last year, a figure that has already been surpassed during the first eight months of 2022 with 690 thefts in 2022, according to statistics. That figure is projected to grow to 1,032 by the end of the year, an increase of more than 84% from last year’s total. A total of 13,190 “other crimes” occurred in Nassau during the first eight months of the year, a number projected to surpass 19,000 by year’s end, according to the figures. The projected total would be an approximate 20% increase from last year’s total of more than 16,000 “other crimes” reported. Nassau has reported five murders, eight sexual abuse instances, two criminal sexual acts and six rapes during the first eight months of the year. A total of 10 murders, 11 sexual abuse instances, 10 criminal sexual acts and 19 rapes were reported in 2021, according to the statistics. More than 640 residential and “other” burglaries were reported to the police department all of last year, while 548 total burglaries were reported during the first eight months of 2022, according to the statistics. Continued on Page 42
PHOTO COURTESY OF JOEL HARRIS
The Mineola Chamber of Commerce held their annual street fair on Jericho Turnpike Sunday, Oct. 9. See story on page 2.
DeSena calls for 11% tax cut in tentative budget BY B R A N D ON D U FF Y
get for 2023 she had previously proposed. DeSena said the proposed tax cut North Hempstead Town Supervisor Jennifer DeSena on Tuesday would be the largest in the town’s hiscalled for an 11% tax cut to be in- tory and would be paid for by tapping cluded in the $158.4 tentative bud- into reserves her office had recently
discovered. The town supervisor said the town’s current reserves are at least $26 million, well in excess of the minimum set by the town board in 2011. Continued on Page 43
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