Sometimes my report to the community contains congratulatory wishes to outstanding citizens and friends of Mineola. Other times I may speak of sad things, like the passing of one of our cherished neighbors. In this report, I must speak directly about some events and happenings which are affecting the very quality of life which we enjoy and which we must do everything within our power to protect. Our Village has experienced two recent violent events, both of them shootings, both of them involving non-residents, both of them a threat to our way of life. The trustees and I have worked closely with the Nassau County Police Department and with our own Auxiliary Police to evaluate the impact of these crimes upon our community and to develop a plan to protect our Village from further events. We have made it very clear to the 3rd Precinct that Mineola will not tolerate intruders who come into our Village with criminal intent. We are now calling upon all members of our community to come together in order to protect and preserve the Mineola which we all love. On Wednesday, June 3, I will ask the trustees to adopt a Neighborhood Watch Program in Mineola. This program, which is conducted in partnership with the Nassau County Police Department, will give all the citizens of Mineola a role to play in preventing crime in our Village through vigilance, observation and reporting. It is expected that we will implement this program within the coming week, so I look forward to communicating with you further on what role each of us can play in protecting and preserving Mineola. A few years ago, there were reports of crime in the vicinity of the former Village Hall. We erected a Police Booth in the area, and soon criminal activities ceased. The recent episodes involve the Willis Avenue corridor. I have arranged with the 3rd Precinct for a police presence in that vicinity through the immediate placement of a police trailer in the area and the location of a more permanent structure in a short time. A clear police presence on Willis Avenue should serve notice upon all who are thinking of coming to Mineola with criminal intentions that our Village will not tolerate them. I have placed the Mineola Auxiliary Police Department on high alert to patrol the entire Village, but especially the streets in the vicinity of the Willis Avenue corridor. Please recognize our officers when you see them and let them know that you support their fine volunteer work to protect our community. If you believe that you are observing a crime in progress, please dial 911 immediately. Your watchful eyes can prevent crime. Your caring enough to make a call will protect our community. The tone of this report is not intended to be alarmist or to create fear in Mineola. We have a wonderful and a safe community. However, it would be foolish to put our heads in the sand and to ignore the fact that certain intruders have come into our neighborhood, I can pledge to you that the trustees and I will do everything within our power to protect Mineola. But we are calling upon you for your help as well. We know that we can count on everyone in our community.