Serving Williston Park, East Williston, Mineola, Albertson and Searingtown
$1.50
Friday, July 8, 2022
Vol. 71, No. 277
LIVING 50+
BIDEN HONORS PORT NURSE
DEMS EYE ABORTION, GUN BILLS
PAGES 23-26
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Nassau on pace to surpass ‘21 crime totals
FIRETRUCKS AND FIREWORKS
Police department reported more than 5,200 major crime instances last year BY R OB E RT PE L A E Z More than 5,200 major crime incidents occurred throughout Nassau County in 2021, a total that is on pace to be surpassed this year, according to police statistics from the first three months of 2022. A total of 5,230 major crimes were reported throughout Nassau last year, with 3,201 being grand larceny incidents, according to numbers obtained by Blank Slate Media from a Freedom of Information Law request submitted to the Nassau County Police Department, Aside from grand larceny, the list of major crimes includes murder, rape, criminal sexual acts, sexual abuse, commercial robberies, other robberies, assault felonies, residential burglaries, other burglaries and stolen vehicles. More than 16,000 “other crimes” were reported throughout the county in 2021, according to the statistics. While grand larceny accounted for more than 60% of the county’s reported major crimes last year, more than 1,000 assault felonies and misdemeanor incidents were reported in 2021. A total of 10 murders, 11 sexual abuse instances, 10 criminal sexual acts and 19 rapes were also reported in 2021, according to the county police. Additionally, more than 640 bur-
glaries were reported, nearly 300 of which were residential, along with more than 320 robberies. The police department’s numbers also showed that 560 stolen vehicles were reported. Major crimes increased by 75% during the first three months of the year compared to last year, according to numbers recently posted on the police department’s website, The police department reported 1,662 major crimes were committed throughout Nassau from Jan. 1-March 31, an increase of 950 crimes during the same time frame last year and on pace for more than 6,000 major crimes reported for the entire year. In Nassau’s 3rd and 6th precincts, which make up a majority of North Shore communities, 645 major crimes occurred during the three-month span this year, compared to 333 last year, an increase of 93%. The 3rd Precinct, located in Williston Park, serves the communities of Albertson, Bellerose Terrace, Bellerose Village, Carle Place, East Garden City, East Meadow, East Williston, Floral Park Center, Garden City Park, Herricks, Mineola, New Cassel, New Hyde Park, North New Hyde Park, Roslyn Heights, Salisbury, Searingtown, Stewart Manor, Uniondale, Westbury, and Williston Park. Continued on Page 38
PHOTO COURTESY OF STEPHEN TAKACS
The Williston Park Fire Department hosted their Independence Day parade on Monday, July 4.
‘Torso Killer’ adds 2 life sentences to rap sheet BY B R A N D ON D U FF Y
two teenage girls in 1974, according to nj.com. Cottingham, 75, who is serving Richard Cottingham, the New Jersey man known as the “Times time at the South Woods State PrisSquare Killer” and “Torso Killer,” on in Bridgeton, N.J., was recently was sentenced last week to two ad- charged with still another murder — ditional life sentences for murdering the killing of New Hyde Park woman
Diane Custick back in 1968. He has pleaded not guilty to that long unsolved homicide. In April, Cottingham pleaded guilty to the kidnapping, sexual assault and killing of two teen girls Continued on Page 38
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