$24K police merger study prompts call for hearing

Nassau Legislature Minority Leader Kevan Abrahams is calling for a legislative hearing to find out why two Nassau villages were not informed about a study that looked at consolidating their police departments

News 12 Staff

Jun 20, 2015, 2:02 AM

Updated 3,394 days ago

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Nassau Legislature Minority Leader Kevan Abrahams is calling for a legislative hearing to find out why two Nassau villages were not informed about a study that looked at consolidating their police departments into Nassau's force.
As News 12 has reported, Nassau County contracted celebrity retired NYPD Detective Richard "Bo" Dietl for $24,000 to study the possible merger of Freeport and Hempstead's village forces into the Nassau County Police Department. Officials from both villages say they did not know the study was being conducted.
The Legislature was also unaware, as $24,000 falls just below the line of the body having to weigh in on the contract.
Abrahams says there is nothing in the 13-page report that was not already known.
"It's not a comprehensive report," Abrahams told News 12. "We would love to hear how this contract was determined...We want to understand why he didn't speak to the village officials."
Acting Police Commissioner Thomas Krumpter agrees.
"The report is incomplete. A number of questions remain unanswered and therefore the contractor has not been paid," Krumpter told News 12.
Comptroller George Maragos says no money will be given to Dietl if the contract was not fulfilled.
Freeport and Hempstead village police have not endorsed any possible merger.
The Nassau Police Department says the original study was meant to gather information and determine the feasibility of entering discussions with the villages.
Dietl told News 12 he had no comment.
Presiding Officer Norma Gonsalves says that she does not support holding a legislative hearing on the contract.