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The beginning...x
The first known formal
police patrol of what is now known as Lynbrook was assigned to 2
constables, working part time, and were answerable to the
Town of Hempstead Sheriffs.
In 1911, Lynbrook
incorporated and the village hired two full time patrol officers.
Thus began the Lynbrook Police Department. The Village President
(Mayor) acted as Chief of Police.
In 1918 the Lynbrook
Police had expanded to 4 members, 2 patrolmen, 1 traffic officer,
and 1 motorcycle officer. By 1921 the department had expanded to
12 officers.
By 1923 the department
further expanded to a uniformed Chief, 9 patrol officers, 2 motorcycle
officers, 3 Sergeants, & 2 Lieutenants, for a total of 17
uniformed officers.
The village faced many
challenges during this time. Vehicular traffic became the the
vogue, with many first time, untested drivers operating vehicles
on substandard roadways, & Lynbrook had two primary east west
arteries, Merrick Rd. & Sunrise Hwy. The roads were not safe place
to travel or patrol. Lynbrook lost three of their police officers
during this time, all due to traffic accidents. Their names are
listed at the bottom of this web page. During prohibition, illegal
alcohol transportation, bootlegging & home breweries were the
issues of the day.
By 1933 the Department
had 30 officers. Lynbrook had grown to become a center of suburban
life in western Long Island with many restaurants, theatres, & a
very busy shopping area.
The early history of
Lynbrook & it's early police department was a colorful one to
say the least. For a full account of the era you may want to read
"The History of Lynbrook" by Art Mattson. Art serves as the
Village Historian. This book is available at the Lynbrook Library.
The book is also available for sale at Lyn Gifts on Atlantic
Ave.
The Lynbrook Police Department
Today
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The Lynbrook Police
Department currently has 48 sworn police officers, 3 Police
Communication Operators, 17 Part-Time School Crossing Guards, 3
full-time Neighborhood Aides (Parking Enforcement), 4 part-time
Neighborhood Aides, 2 Traffic Control Assistants and 2 Clerks.
The department has marked
&
unmarked patrol vehicles, a Ford Expedition used by Highway Patrol
for Commercial Vehicle Weight Enforcement & for regular patrol in inclement weather,
& a converted mini bus that can be
used to quickly transport traffic barricades to locations when needed. Visit the
respective web pages for more information about the respective
units & divisions.
Lynbrook Police has their own Detective Division, Juvenile
Officer, Crime Prevention Officer, & Highway Patrol Unit. We
offer guest lecturers for schools & community groups & perform
crime prevention surveys for homes & businesses. See our Crime
Prevention Page for more information.
During 9-11, many of our
officers volunteered to assist & performed police duties under
the direction of the NYPD.
The
Lynbrook Police Department dispatches all calls for service from
their headquarters located in the lower level of the village hall.
We have an Enhanced 911 console which receives calls from Lynbrook
locations. This system can identify your location from a land
based telephone even if you are unable to speak. Our headquarters is manned 24 hours a day, 7 days a
week, 365 days a year.
The Lynbrook Police Department is
also the primary dispatcher for the
Lynbrook Fire Department.
Our facility is equipped with an emergency generator in
the event of power failures which can power the entire village
hall, including Police Headquarters.
In
2007 the Lynbrook Police Department responded to
12,755 calls for
service to our community. These calls ranged from serious crimes
in progress, to calls for emergency medical aid, to auto
accidents, disputes, family disturbances, burglar, fire & panic alarm
calls, & many others too numerous to list.
We
utilize a computer database system for all arrest, traffic ticket,
case offense & medical aided cases. Lynbrook was one of the
first departments in Nassau County to be fully computerized in
this fashion.
Our
patrol officers also have computers in many of our vehicles which
allow prompt inquiries for criminal justice inquires, department
of motor vehicle checks & access to the departmental databases.
Our department utilizes
a fully computer
generated traffic summons system to speed traffic stops &
eliminates the need for manual data entry from the local to state
levels. This is yet another first in Nassau County by Lynbrook
Police.
The Lynbrook Police
Department, under the direction of Chief Joseph Neve, continues
it's long tradition of service to the residents of the Village,
performing their duties with professionalism & pride.
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Patrolman
David Kenneth Frost