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Friday, August 12, 2022
Vol. 97, No. 32
LIVING 50+
$110 COHEN’S EXPANSION
SIRIUS DJ ARRESTED ON DRUG CHARGES
PAGES 23-26
PAGE 3
PAGE 6
Crime stats show little rise after bail reform
SSSUMMER FUN
Slight increases in 2020, 2021 while 10% decrease since 2017 BY R OB E RT PE L A E Z An analysis of Nassau County crime statistics for the past five years conducted by Blank Slate Media shows a decrease of more than 10% in major crimes from 2017-2021 but an increase of more than 16% increase in violent crimes. Statistics that were reported by the Nassau County Police Department to the state Division of Criminal Justice Services show that a total of 14,039 major crimes were committed throughout the county in 2017, compared to 12,535 in 2021. The list of major crimes included in the report were murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny and motor vehicle theft. The biggest year-to-year decrease in major crime during the five-year analysis was from 2019 to 2020 with a drop of nearly 9% — from 13,387 to 12,244 -during the pandemic-riddled year, according to the statistics. Though most crimes increased from 2019 to 2020, larceny reports decreased by nearly 15%, from 10,234 to 8,741, helping drive the overall decrease. Motor vehicle thefts increased nearly 10%, from 639 to 702 from 2019 to 2020. Aggravated assaults increased 13.4% from 1,081 to 1,226 and burglaries increased 12%, from 870 to 975 from 2019 to 2020, according to the
statistics. Both violent and property major crimes increased slightly from 2020 to 2021, according to the statistics. Major crimes, overall, increased less than 3% in 2021 from 12,244 in 2020. Violent crime increased 5% from 1,826 to 1,917 during this period and property crimes increased less than 2%. The crime report appears to contradict claims that reforms to New York’s bail reform laws had led to an increase in crime, which was a central part of Republicans’ successful countywide campaigns in November 2021 New York implemented bail reform laws in January 2020, with modifications being passed in April that same year. State officials said the modified laws eliminated pretrial detention and optional cash bail in an estimated 90 percent of cases. Local officials, including Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, have expressed their opposition to the laws, claiming that recent increases in major crimes and reports involving repeat offenders are reflective of bail reform. Blakeman recently said there is a “state of lawlessness” throughout New York and it has resulted in repeat offenders coming back to Nassau County to commit crimes. Continued on Page 38
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE GREAT NECK PARK DISTRICT
Camp Parkwood campers were introduced to a slithery new friend last week.
VGN village hall struck by lighting, catches fire BY R OB E RT PE L A E Z The Village of Great Neck’s village hall caught fire on Tuesday night after being hit by lightning, according to officials. John Purcell, chief of the Great
Neck Alert Fire Company, said officials were notified of flames from the second floor of the village hall last night at 7:25 p.m. Within five minutes, he said, firefighters were on the scene and were able to contain the blaze
within 30 minutes. The mayor lauded the responding fire departments for their work to save “a significant portion” of the building and expressed relief that no one was reported injured. Continued on Page 39
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