A few days ago, on Tuesday August 18 th , the Five Towns was rocked by the news that Inwood resident Nicola Pelle in possession of multiple guns had been arrested after making a terroristic threat towards hundreds of children attending Yeshiva Ketana’s summer day camp. According to the police, the 58-year-old male called police saying that about 500 children were not wearing facemasks. Then prior to the police arriving, Pelle called the police again and threatened to get a gun and shoot the kids at the school.
Following his arrest, police say Pelle was found to have in his possession a valid Nassau County pistol permit, five handguns, rifles and shotguns which included two assault weapons. Scarily, one of the guns was illegal under state law. Pelle was arraigned on charges including making a terroristic threat, four counts of criminal possession of a weapon, and two counts of criminal possession of a firearm. Bail was set at $10,000 bond or $5,000 cash and unfortunately, he was shockingly released and sent home.
This eerie and frightening episode and the court ‘s leniency sent shockwaves through Lawrence and much of the Five Towns, reminding all our residents of the critical need to take additional measures to protect families, our neighbors, and our homes.
Threats like Pelle’s versus hundreds of our local school children are but another vivid reminder of the danger posed rising crime as reported by local police. Comparing the first six months of 2020 with the same period in 2019, the Fourth police Precinct is reporting an 18% increase in overall crime, and more dramatically a 71% increase in commercial robbery, a 77% increase in residential burglary and a 74% increase in stolen vehicles.
The Yeshiva Ketana incident coupled with the recent disturbing rising crime rates dictates that we must band together as a to do more to protect ourselves. This growing anxiety surrounding the area’s rising crime has even led some residents to hire costly private security to protect their homes in some parts of Lawrence.
Therefore, the People’s Party led by Danny Goldstein along with his dynamic slate of trustees namely Mr. Bruce Backman Co-Founder of Re-Open New York, Dr. Joel Preminger are calling for the entire community to procure private and trustworthy security personnel to patrol during the evening hours when statistics show that most crime is committed.
Our proposal is similar to the security plan instituted by Hewlett Harbor’s who has hired off duty police officers to keep an eye on local streets and homes in the evening hours eight hours per day, seven days a week and three hundred and sixty five days per year. These patrolmen’s job is to keep a vigilant eye on the town’s public and private property, as well as community’s general welfare. Such a service will also provide peace of mind traveling Lawrence residents, as these security individuals can be asked to keep an eye on their homes while they are out of town.
Such a service will cost an estimated $90,00 per year providing the people of Lawrence
incredible value and safety at The Lawrence People’s Party’s revenue neutral private security plan is affordable and attainable with modest budgetary reallocations and in these uncertain times is vital to maintaining and improving the safety and security of our entire village and all its citizens.
-Bruce Backman is a candidate for Trustee in the Village of Lawrence and is a small business owner and was most recently a spokesman for Re-Open New York, a coalition of small businesses adversely affected by the recent Covid-19 Lockdown
This fear mongering isn’t going to work. People of Lawrence are smarter than that. The current Mayor got the 4th precint to add many more patrols around Lawrence. I have personally seen them driving down my block many times during the night. Crime in Lawrence is actually DOWN! Using statistics for the entire 4th precinct is not accurate to describe the village of Lawrence. Besides, what exactly does “reallocating” budget mean???
I’ve rarely seen seen cops come down my block. Most of the time there are two patrol cars just hanging out and talking by the Lawrence train station parking lot.
More security would be good. More cops would be good.
Time for change. We know what happens when one is in office more than a few years…. they sit on their “laurels”….