Politics & Government

Coliseum Bid Announced, Police Overtime Questioned

A weekly look in at the news from around Nassau County.

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After bringing the Barclays Center to Brooklyn, developer Bruce Ratner will now have a hand in reinventing the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale.

In what Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano said came down to the largest “economic benefit” to the county, Nassau Events Center (NEC), an affiliate of Ratner’s Forest City Enterprises, was chosen over the Madison Square Garden Company Thursday afternoon to redevelop the HUB.

Click on the link in the first paragraph for more on the Coliseum.

Suozzi Calls Out Mangano on Police Overtime

Democratic county executive nominee Tom Suozzi challenged Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano on the police department’s “skyrocketing” overtime in 2013.

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Suozzi cited a Newsday [paid link] editorial that stated police overtime costs had climbed 13 percent in the first six months of 2013.

According to the Nassau County Comptroller mid-year reports on the county's financial condition, Mangano has increased the police district and police headquarters overtime each year since taking office, Suozzi said, adding that the forecast for police overtime in 2013 is a 67-percent increase since 2009.

“Mangano’s consolidation attempts have been a complete failure and have achieved no savings; he cut the number of precincts in half yet overtime went up by two thirds,” Suozzi said in a release.

County spokesman Brian Nevin said the police department is seeing eight-figure savings despite any increase in overtime.

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"Despite inheriting $378 million In deficits from Tom Suozzi, Ed Mangano has held the line on property taxes his entire term while reducing the size of government by $300 million -- including a savings of $20 million a year within the police department,” he said. “No increase in overtime can overcome the savings achieved by Ed Mangano."

Brooklyn Men Arrested on Charges of Shooting Nassau Officer

A pair of Brooklyn men were arrested and charged with a burglary and shooting of a police officer in New Hyde Park that occurred Wednesday morning at about 1:54 a.m.

According to detectives, home owners of a residence on Campbell Street called 911 stating they heard odd noises in their home. Cong Xu, 21, and Renhang Qui, 22, both of Brooklyn fled the home and were confronted by police officers. As Xu ran away from the officers, he turned and fired several rounds from a handgun. One bullet struck Police Officer Mohit Arora in the lower abdomen.

Click on the headline to read more about the arrests.

Marine Unit Left High and Dry Awaiting Backup

Nassau County Police found themselves all alone on the high seas this week, confronting a man armed with a rifle and with back-up forces nowhere in sight.

Audio tapes of the incident obtained by Patch reveal that the U.S. Coast Guard did not immediately respond to Nassau Marine Unit 20's call for backup and, at one point, appeared confused by Nassau's request for assistance.

Click the headline to read more about the incident.


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