A task force appointed by Mineola Mayor Jack M. Martins to determine if it is feasible for the village to have its own police force presented its report to the village board last Wednesday and the verdict is that it is both legal and economically feasible for the Village of Mineola to have its own police force.

Such an undertaking would have to be approved by voters through a referendum, but it appears that it is worth, at least according to the report, pursuing.

Village taxpayers are currently paying $6,366,916.81 a year for the police district fund for police patrol from the 3rd Precinct. In addition, village taxpayers pay $4,030,664.42 for the police headquarters fund, which includes services such as police training, the police academy, detectives, emergency services, special operations and other services. If the Village of Mineola forms its own police department, taxpayers would still be paying for the headquarters fund and still be receiving those services but would not be paying the police district fund since the village police would be patrolling Mineola.

The police task force estimates in its report that if the village had its own police force in 2005, taxpayers would have paid $4,831,560.16 to support the village police instead of the $6,366,916.81 paid to the county. Also according to the report, the village receives what amounts to 2.77 Nassau police cars of coverage whereas a village police force, for the price of $4.83 million, would provide four police officers and a sergeant putting in a 12-hour tour each day.

One concern for those who feel that a police force may not be feasible is start-up costs. Starting a police force from scratch, the village is sure to encounter significant expenses for equipment such as police cars and even a building to house police headquarters.

According to the police task force report, the $4,831,560.16 takes into account start-up costs including debt service on a 20-year bond to pay off the headquarters building, which has an estimated cost of $3 million, and one-year bond anticipation notes, which can be paid off over five years for equipment.

The conclusion of the task force report stated that a village police department would be able to concentrate on areas of concern to village residents. It went on by saying, "This coverage can be provided by a village department without raising the overall taxes of village taxpayers ... the Mineola Police Task Force has determined that the reinstitution of a village police force in Mineola is legally and economically feasible."

The task force report was presented by the head of the committee John Curry to Mayor Jack M. Martins and the board of trustees. Also present at the meeting were other members of the committee - Walter Crosby, Tom Rudolph, Jim Lamonica and Mike Spae.

The next step, according to the mayor, is to make the report available to the public. The village will try to have the report available on its website, www.mineola-ny.gov. The village will also make the report available at the Mineola Library and explore whether it is possible to mail a copy to each household.

There will then be a series of hearings in the next few months. There can be no institution of a village police department without a referendum vote. Therefore, residents of the village will ultimately determine if the village should have its own police force or continue to be patrolled by the Nassau County Police.