6 villages keeping Old Brookville police

Six Nassau County villages will continue using the Old Brookville Police Department for another year as they debate long-term department costs.

Under a tentative agreement reached last week, Brookville, Old Brookville, Upper Brookville, Matinecock, Mill Neck and Cove Neck would pay roughly the same $8.4 million for police in 2011-2012 as in the contract year ending May 31.

Each village's portion is based on county assessment values. But after the Muttontown trustees questioned the long-standing system, and voted in March to form its own police force, uncertainty set in.

Upper Brookville, which contributed $1.7 million to the department's budget last year, strongly considered leaving as well. Its leaders worried about rising benefits costs, and filling the gap from Muttontown's withdrawal.

Muttontown paid $2.85 million to Old Brookville police last year and was dissatisfied it had just equal say with villages contributing far fewer dollars.

In a letter to residents last week confirming the agreement, Brookville Mayor Caroline Bazzini attempted to assure them "that we are all firmly committed to the continued operation of our police department."

The partners must decide whether to fund a new police headquarters and how to control future personnel costs. And with Muttontown gone, Old Brookville police union officials said 10 of 40 officers may be cut. Chris Sweeney, police union president, said detectives and some dispatchers would be eliminated.

"This is the worst-case scenario, to have officers lose their jobs and have no more personal service," he said. Some Muttontown residents have urged their village to return to Old Brookville police for another year, fearing the new department won't be ready June 1 -- the day after the contract expiration -- and that Nassau police will then step in at a higher cost.

But Muttontown Mayor Julianne Beckerman said the village is obtaining the necessary equipment and hopes to soon gain civil service approvals to hire officers. "We are moving forward," she said Monday. With Bill Bleyer