One topic that is sure to be on the minds of village residents in 2006 is the idea of Mineola having its own police department. The mayor and the village board held one hearing with regard to the police department. As of Dec. 23, no additional hearings were scheduled. However, Mayor Jack M. Martins said there would be many hearings upcoming so that residents will have every opportunity to voice their opinions and concerns. In addition, the village sent a copy of the police task force report to every mailing address in Mineola.

The police task force was appointed by Mayor Martins to study whether it was both legal and fiscally feasible for the village to form its own police department. The task force determined it was both legal and fiscally feasible for the village to have a police department, but don't expect this to be a cut and dry issue.

Former inspector of the Nassau County Police Third Precinct Lorraine Hannon said that the trend is going against village police departments. She pointed out that the Village of Woodsburgh attempted to form a police department. It was created in 1984 but was absorbed by the Nassau County Police in 1987. Ironically, one of the members of the Mineola Police Task Force Ed Curran, president of the State Retired Police Association, helped start the Woodsburgh Police.

"I don't know the last time a village police department was created successfully," said Hannon. "It's an ambitious project."

However, those communities that have had a police department haven't disbanded them to join the county. Garden City established a police department in 1919; Old Westbury established one in 1924; Glen Cove in 1918; Freeport in 1893 and Floral Park in 1918. Those are only some of the communities in Nassau County to have had police departments for decades.

If there is a village with a police department that can be compared to Mineola, it's Floral Park, which has a police department that patrols approximately 1.5 square miles with a population of over 16,000 residents. The Village of Mineola covers an area of approximately 1.9 square miles and has a population of 19,000 to 20,000.

In fiscal year 2004-2005, the Village of Floral Park spent $4,722,600 in its budget for police. The Village of Mineola taxpayers are currently paying $6,366,916.81 in police district taxes for coverage from the Nassau County Third Precinct. The Village of Mineola's police task force concluded that coverage of Mineola, including startup costs, could be provided for less, even with startup costs, estimated that the department could be run for $5.4 to $5.9 million in its first year.

Mayor Martins broached the idea for a village police department because he didn't feel the village was receiving the amount of coverage from the Nassau Police for what the taxpayers are paying. The Third Precinct has dedicated one car to Mineola and the village shares the coverage of three other cars with other areas of the Third Precinct, although 85 percent of the patrol area of one of those cars is within the Village of Mineola.

However, Hannon pointed out that there is a county police staffing study, which will take a look at how the department is staffed, budgeted for 2006. "We are anxiously looking forward to what that will show," she said.