Nassau County Presiding Officer Richard Nicolello (R-New Hyde Park) said he supports initiatives for additional police training in the aftermath of protests held throughout Nassau County and the nation as a result of the killing of George Floyd in late May.
“There will always be a need to evaluate police methods and training,” Nicolello said. “I support initiatives for additional training for police.”
Nicolello helped launch the county’s new “Blue Ribbon” campaign that emphasizes the importance of law enforcement officials throughout Nassau County.
“The Blue Ribbon campaign is in response to the attempt by extreme groups to vilify all police for the actions of a tiny few,” he said. “It is intended to show our men and women in law enforcement that we as a county and community appreciate the professionalism, dedication and courage of the overwhelming majority of men and women in blue.”
The Nassau County Legislature joined with local community members and law enforcement officials to unveil the campaign three weeks ago. On July 1, New Hyde Park residents and members of Nassau County law enforcement and New York City law enforcement joined members of the Legislature, including Nicolello, to unveil the campaign.
Nicolello acknowledged that racism is still prevalent in society, despite Nassau County making “incredible strides” over the past 50 years.
“Our country is one of the most open and tolerant nations in the world and has done more work for good than any other nation that ever existed,” he said. “No human system will ever be perfect, and we must be ever vigilant that no one is judged … or restricted in their employment [or] housing accommodation because of the color of the skin, religion, ethnicity, gender, etc.”
The campaign will highlight the work done by Nassau’s law enforcement.
“There are laws and processes for the tiny few that violate their oath or commit acts that are unethical or criminal. It is important that those who commit such acts be dealt with through legal processes,” Nicolello said. “However, for the safety of all our communities, those who are serving in law enforcement must know that while extreme groups may be attacking them, the vast majority of residents appreciate their work.”
Aside from protests that have taken place in the wake of Floyd’s death in Minneapolis, one of the other movements that has circulated on social media platforms is people calling on their local governments to defund the police.
According to a New York Times article in early June, calls for defunding the police are representative of people wanting to cut spending for police departments whose expenses have taken up a large share of city and county budgets. Cuts that have been discussed among supporters include overtime, expensive equipment or other expenses that relate strictly to the physical act of policing.
While some people who support the movement wish for the expenses to be shifted to other areas such as increased training, mental health services or education, others have interpreted the movement as a way to abolish law enforcement in their communities, according to The Times.
Nicolello said the movement is “as radically wrong a policy toward law enforcement as can be conceived.”
“We have already seen the effects of these policies in major cities in our nation,” he continued. “Murders, shootings and crimes in general are increasing at an exponential rate in the places where police are under attack. Unfortunately, it is the must vulnerable in our society who are the victims of this movement and the failure of politicians to support effective policing.”
Nicolello expressed his views on George Floyd’s death and its aftermath on Facebook in early June.
“The actions resulting in George Floyd’s death were reprehensible and indefensible,” he said. “It is reassuring to see governmental authorities moving swiftly to bring the police officers responsible to justice. They must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Nicolello also supported residents throughout the county and nation who have chosen to express their right to peacefully protest and call for change to police brutality and systemic racism but noted that some have taken advantage of it.
“While citizens across our country have engaged in the great American tradition of peaceful protest, it is disgraceful that in many of these places these protests have been used by anarchists and extremist groups to rampage and destroy communities,” he said. “The United States has no place for extremists who use violence to try to tear down our communities and nation.”
