Amid protests and unrest in New York City and elsewhere across the country, Long Island's demonstrations following the death of George Floyd have remained peaceful.

Nassau Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder says he's making every effort to keep it that way.

"We're here to protect everybody's rights, keep everybody safe, and let them get their message out through peaceful protest," he says.

Detectives are monitoring social media for potential threats, while community leaders alert police about planned protests.

When rallies pop up, Ryder says specially armed tactical units are ready - though they won't be deployed right away.

"The first response is uniform. We have a uniformed sergeant here. If everything's peaceful that's all you see. If it becomes a problem, uniformed officers step to the rear, step forward the tactical in tactical gear," says Ryder.

In Suffolk County, Police Commissioner Geraldine Hart urged demonstrators to cooperate with law enforcement.
"We want people to have the ability to come out to voice their opinions in a safe manner, we want our officers to be safe. So that's the message, that we're all out here. We're together in this," says Hart.