Dems question use of Nassau alert system

Nassau Democrats are questioning whether County Executive Edward Mangano and Acting Police Commissioner Thomas Dale misused the county phone network intended to alert residents to emergencies, such as hurricanes and shootings.

Both Mangano and Dale made automated calls to residents in the past few weeks promoting a plan to realign Nassau's precincts.

"This is an important public information alert," Dale said in a call last Friday. "I have put forth a plan that increases public safety and respects your hard-earned tax dollars."

Legis. David Denenberg (D-Merrick) termed the call a "blatant" misuse of the county phone system. He said the parents of his legislative aide received both Mangano's and Dale's calls at their Merrick home and the caller ID displayed the same number used by Mangano during Tropical Storm Irene to alert residents about emergency preparations.

"The emergency network is a taxpayer-funded network to provide information in case of emergency circumstances, like a hurricane, an armed burglary in the neighborhood, not to provide people with one-sided partisan information about something that is not an emergency," Denenberg said.

Democrats who oppose the precinct plan submitted a letter to Mangano Thursday asking a series of questions about funding of the phone calls and the phone network.

Katie Grilli-Robles, press secretary to Mangano, who is holding a political fundraiser in South Carolina, did not return calls about the recorded messages and use of the emergency network.

Last month, Mangano aide Brian Nevin said the emergency network was not used when Mangano first made automated calls about the precinct plan on Feb. 6. But Chief Deputy Executive Rob Walker subsequently acknowledged that the county was using its emergency system to notify residents about the precinct reorganization. Walker called it a necessary and appropriate way for the county to get information to residents. Officials turned to the system because opponents often disrupted public meetings and put out misinformation, Walker said.

In response to questions from Newsday, County Comptroller George Maragos said he is researching whether the calls violate the terms of any federal and state funds used to install and pay for the emergency network.

Edward Ward, an aide to presiding officer Peter Schmitt (R-Massapequa) said, "The administration will have to explain the appropriateness of using the county system for the robo calls."

Democrats said they are worried that residents would come to ignore the automated political messages and not pay attention when emergencies occur.

"Clearly there comes a point when you so abuse the public trust that people will no longer take seriously the important calls or contacts," said Legis. Wayne Wink Jr. (D-Roslyn).

With Joye Brown and

James T. Madore