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Curran receives endorsements from two police unions ahead of election

Robert Pelaez
Nassau County Executive Laura Curran received endorsements from two police unions on Monday. (Photo courtesy of Laura Curran for Nassau County)

On the same day Nassau County was deemed the safest county in the nation for the second consecutive year, County Executive Laura Curran received endorsements on Monday from two police unions.

Officials from the Police Superior Officers Association and the Police Detectives Association touted the work of Curran over the past few years and cited labor agreements she helped facilitate with both unions since 2018.

Curran, a Democrat, is running for re-election in November against Republican Bruce Blakeman, a Town of Hempstead councilman.

Superior Officers Association President Ricky Frassetti said as county executive Curran tripled the size of the Police Department’s community affairs unit, reopened two precincts, and quadrupled the problem-oriented police officers in each precinct.

“While the county executive and I might not always agree on everything, she always listens and is willing to work things out, ” Frassetti said. “Laura is committed to working to support initiatives that strengthen the relationships between law enforcement and the communities they serve.”

Detectives Association President John Wighaus touted Curran for not getting “caught up in winning and losing” and instead being an elected official who was around during good times and bad. Wighaus said Curran’s efforts to inform the county’s residents and help first responders helped earn her the organization’s endorsement.

“When most of the world was bunkered down during the early stages of the pandemic, first responders throughout the county, including my members, showed up each and every day and continued to keep our residents safe,” Wighaus said. “During that dangerous time, Laura Curran was present. She was keeping our residents calm and informed while knowingly placing herself in danger.”

Curran thanked the officials from both unions for their support. 

“The trust that I have built, and my administration has built with this team behind me is incredibly important,” Curran said. “I am grateful for the support. I want both the DAI and the SOA to know that I do not take this support for granted, I do not take this endorsement for granted, and I really look forward to working together to solve our problems so we can again say it is a new day in Nassau County.”

The Nassau County Police Benevolent Association, which represents a majority of Nassau County police officers, did not respond to comment on who the group would endorse ahead of the election. 

Blakeman, in response to the endorsements, told Newsday that “no amount of endorsements can overshadow the county executive’s massive reassessment tax hikes, which are slamming Nassau homeowners.”

Efforts to reach Blakeman for further comment were unavailing.

The PBA, SOA, and DAI all endorsed Anne Donnelly, the Republican running against state Sen. Todd Kaminsky (D-Long Beach) for Nassau County district attorney.

Prior to Curran’s endorsements, the county executive announced that Nassau was once again the safest county in America, according to U.S. News & World Report.

The report, which factors in per capita spending for health and emergency services in its ratings, said Nassau received a perfect score this year.

According to federal statistics, the county spends $1,148 per capita on police and fire protection, compared with the national median of $359. The county’s violent crime rate is 143.6 per 100,000 people, compared with the national average of 204.6 per 100,000 people, according to the statistics.

“While crime has spiked in other parts of the country, Nassau is safer than ever,” Curran said in a statement. “Our success in holding crime down shows that intelligence-led, community-oriented policing works. It also shows that Nassau has the finest police department in the nation.”

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