Current members of the Garden City Special Police still serve the community proudly despite the drastic decrease in members when compared to when the force was first created prior to the United States' entry into World War II. The civil defense unit, which later became a police and fire-fighting auxiliary, is celebrating its 50th anniversary.

With activities delving much deeper than Sunday morning church traffic, members have been involved in crowd control at the Men's Association Sports Fair, the village's Memorial Day Parade and Carnival, the soccer festival and the annual Belmont Stakes festival.

When World War II ended, the auxiliary policing group was under the direction of Lt. Tom McGee. Training and instruction in police procedures and first aid continued under his leadership. In November 1952, at one of the organization's regular monthly meetings, Police Chief S. Vanderwater, the presiding mayor and several village board members suggested a more positive and permanent attachment to the village's police department, Garden City Special Police Captain Felix Jakubowski said.

The village then supplied uniforms and training and the organizations performed limited functions with limited rights as the Garden City Reserve Police. After several years of defining their rights and obligations by state law, the group officially became known as the Garden City Special Police, he said.

"Although our main assignment is to assist the regular police in traffic and crowd control, individual time volunteered by our members includes the security of our parks, church pedestrian crossings and assistance in an emergency as declared by the village police commissioners," Jakubowski explained. "The residents of Garden City are indeed fortunate to be served by the caliber and devotion of our regular village police and it is this spirit that attracts members to serve their village in the Garden City Special Police without compensation. And, in a small way, continue to keep Garden City a wonderful place in which to live."

The membership would like to extend an open invitation to all Garden City residents over the age of 21 to apply to join the ranks and serve the village. Call Captain Jakubowski at 739-8326 for details. Further, the membership would like to thank Village Mayor Robert Lewis and the board of trustees for formally recognizing their 50 years of service.