On Monday, Nov. 27, the 2nd Precinct Nassau County Police Department held a public forum at the Oyster Bay High School library. The commanding officer of the 2nd precinct, Inspector Richard Meyer, was the primary speaker. There were concerns from a group of residents from Locust Valley as well as from the hamlet of Oyster Bay.

Locust Valley residents had ongoing concerns about drug houses and dealing in their neighborhood; day laborers congregating in their streets in the morning; illegal parking issues at busy intersections; and speeding vehicles through residential areas.

Inspector Meyer and the residents have been dialoging about these issues for the past couple of years. Inspector Meyer reported on how the department has been working the best they can to resolve these issues. The residents expressed their frustration that when the police are present things get better but when they are not these issues escalate.

Inspector Meyer expressed his frustration as a result of the 2nd precinct going from a force of 250 to 155 policemen. The police force is spread thin in times when problems in communities are on the rise.

John Spece from the Main Street Association reported serious vandalism in Townsend Square parking lot over Thanksgiving weekend. I was also there to report on my issues with Townsend Square parking lot. Several times over the summer going out for dinner at a restaurant with a group of friends, I was reluctant to leave my car in the parking lot. The kids were taking over most of the parking lot with loud music, drinking and skate boarding. I looked for street parking instead.

To put a carousel in the park would not make the park more secure, but would add another target for vandalism. It would add another burden to the already busy police force working in our communities to protect us from more serious issues. We should put our heads together and visualize something that would keep our teenagers entertained and safe.

Let's preserve our "Sanctuary By the Sea": TR Park.

Frances Leone