Nassau police: Trailer helps overflow at 4th Precinct in Hewlett

A trailer was installed at the 4th Precinct station house in Hewlett on Tuesday evening to handle overflow of officers and prisoners when Nassau closes its busy 5th Precinct in Elmont as part of County Executive Edward Mangano’s precinct consolidation plan.

Not surprisingly, Democrats, who opposed the consolidation of the county’s eight precincts into four, differ with Republicans, who supported the plan as a way to save money, about the county's use of trailers for police operations.

Legis. David Denenberg (D-Merrick) said he had seen the new 4th Precinct trailer. “It’s one of the most ridiculous sights to behold: 21st century police precinct commanding officers are in 20th century trailer park. It would be funny if it wasn’t sad.”

But Legis. Howard Kopel (R-Lawrence), whose district includes the 4th Precinct, drove past the station house on Broadway on Wednesday and said, “It looks like a trailer. It looks exactly like I expected to look. It’s certainly not ideal. Ideally you want to have a larger precinct, but appearancewise its not as bad as I had feared. They put it behind the building.”

Kopel said he hopes the county would sell the Fourth and Fifth station houses “and build a brand new building. That’s what I would like to see if it can be done.”

Station houses in the four closed precincts will be turned into “community policing centers” under Mangano’s plan.