In the 100th anniversary of the Village of Mineola's incorporation, the year of its centennial celebration, residents will be asked to make one of the most important decisions in Mineola's history. That is whether the village should have its own police force.

The decision will be made on December 5 when a referendum will be held and in the days leading up to the vote, proponents for a village police department and those against the idea are making their arguments.

The time for the vote is approaching as the days to decide a critical issue in the village's future are dwindling. Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi, who has reserved his opinion on the subject, has voiced it. "I'm surprised it's come this far," he said of the referendum vote. "Everywhere I go, people are talking about taxes and the need to consolidate government. There is no question in my mind that if Mineola was to break off with its own force, it would result in a tax increase for the residents of Mineola. It's going to be much more expensive than has been presented."

Suozzi, however, said he did not read the Mineola Police Task Force Operational Report, but said his professional staff says it's going to cost more than the report states.

Ironically, Suozzi was the former mayor of and currently resides in the City of Glen Cove, a 19.2 square-mile city that has its own police department, according to the Glen Cove government website, comprised of 53 officers.

Mineola Mayor Jack Martins proposed looking into the idea of having a police force because he believes a village force can better handle quality of life issues and village taxpayers aren't getting its monies worth with the county.

Whereas some ask "how can the village do it?" Mayor Martins asks, "How can the village not be able to do it?" The mayor believes the village can afford its own police force since it has a large commercial tax base and stands by the Mineola Police Task Force's findings that the village can have more coverage than the county provides for less tax money.

Still, other than Suozzi, Nassau Police Commissioner James Lawrence and 3rd Precinct Inspector Bob Turk believe village residents are better served by the county since the county, with a large force, can handle major incidents in the village. Both Lawrence and Turk say the village's operational report, which calls for 28 officers, simply isn't enough to handle multiple incidents at the same time.

However, proponents of a village police force aren't trying to reinvent the wheel; they want the village to be able to patrol itself as nearby villages such as Garden City and Floral Park, which have their own police forces, do.

Ed Curran, a member of the Mineola Police Task Force, is a former first deputy commissioner of the Nassau County Police Department. Although Curran has ties to the county police force and has respect for its officers and personnel, he believes having a village police force is a good idea. The problem with the county, said Curran, is that it is responding to multiple areas while a village police force will be focused solely on Mineola so that the officers will get to know their posts. He said the village would get "more personalized protection."

As far as the village task force not being independent, Curran said he didn't know task force head John Curry before working on the report with him. Curran is confident that the money projected in the report is above what it would cost the village. "You haven't heard anyone challenge that. The only thing they're saying is that there's not enough officers," he said.

Curry points out that the task force's report provides for more officers with 28 and constant supervision in the village than the Mineola currently gets in the village. "If 28 isn't enough, then how can you accept what we're getting?" he asks.

The county's argument for the 3rd Precinct is that although the county provides Mineola with three patrol cars, it can pull any one of its other 22 cars that are in the precinct to come to Mineola in case there is an emergency. Those against a Mineola police wonder if a village force can handle multiple tasks at the same time. Those who are proponents of a village force point to the fact that villages that have own force are effectively able to patrol and respond to calls since their officers are dedicated solely to their villages.

Another member of the Mineola Police Task Force who has ties to the county is Ray Leonhard, who was a lieutenant in the Nassau County Police Department. Leonhard said when Mayor Martins first approached him about serving on a task force for a village police department, he was skeptical. "I said no way this is going to work. Then, when all the numbers started coming in and we added everything up, I couldn't believe it. You can't go wrong with going with our own police," he said.

Resident Chris Carpenito, who is a certified public accountant and a vice president and controller for a major construction company, said he studied the report and believes the Mineola Police Task Force did an excellent job of protecting the residents' interests. Carpenito, who believes a village police force would have a positive impact on the community, said the task force seemed to take conservative estimates for the costs.

Resident Ed Savarese points to other villages such as Garden City, Malverne, Old Westbury and Sands Point that have their own police department and those villages are flourishing. "Ask them if they would ever give up their police department," he said.

Others don't believe there is a need for a village police force. Dave Keefe said he walks around the village for an hour and a half each day. "I've never felt the need for additional police protection," he said. "I'm willing to be convinced this is a good deal for us. I just don't believe we need additional police."

The Nassau County Police Nass-Stat reported crime statistics indicate that major crimes (murder, rape, criminal sex act, sex abuse, robbery, felony assault, burglary, stolen vehicles and grand larceny) are up 7.58 percent from 2005 to 2006 in the 3rd Precinct.

However, Inspector Turk maintains Mineola doesn't have a crime problem and there isn't a crime wave running through the village. According to Turk, Mineola had a 33 percent reduction in major crimes from 2003 to 2004 and a 6 percent reduction in from 2004 to 2005. Turk also points out that Mineola had 133 major crimes in 2005 whereas Rockville Centre, a village with its own police force, has 182. However, Floral Park, a village with its own police force, had 27 and Garden City, which also has its own force, had 113.

But some believe a village police force with officers dedicated to Mineola will be able to improve quality of life since they will never leave the borders of the village. Resident Richard Maher believes the task force's operational report is valid. "I want this place to be a great place for my children," he said.

The idea of a village police force has been met with some opposition. Besides the Nassau Police and the county executive, Village Trustees Linda Fairgrieve and Paul Cusato will both be voting against the referendum. Fairgrieve and Cusato both feel there is not enough information for residents to make an informed decision. Both pushed for an independent consultant to review whether the village should have its own force. After a request for proposal was published, the village received one proposal to conduct the study. However, the majority of the board felt the firm, the Center for Governmental Research, did not have adequate qualifications in the area of police experience.

At last week's police hearing, several members of the Hometown Party, the party Fairgrieve and Cusato belong to and the party that frequently opposes Mayor Martins, came out against a village police department. Joe Galante, Tony Nocito, Dennis Mortensen and John Colbert all said they were voting no against the department. Nocito said that in his years in Mineola, he has been very satisfied with the Nassau County Police Department. Colbert said when he was mayor, whenever he needed a police officer from the county, he was able to get one.

Resident Bob Imbornoni questions whether the task force's report calls for enough officers and points to the fact that other municipalities aren't starting their own police force.

On Dec. 5, during the village's 100th anniversary, Mineola residents will decided if their village will received better policing with its own force.