Police misconduct: What do your elected officials think?

Background:

Jacobs can propose and vote on laws that affect the Nassau County Police Department. As a body, the Nassau County Legislature oversees the police department and can confirm or reject the county executive's choice for police commissioner. The legislature can also hold hearings and subpoena documents and witnesses.

Jacobs, of Woodbury, was elected to the first legislature that took office in 1996. She became presiding officer in 2000 when Democrats won the majority and served as legislative leader through 2008. A graduate of Hunter College, she had been a second-grade teacher in Elmont when she moved to Woodbury and became a civic leader and activist in Oyster Bay.

Questions:

Police officers have remained on the job after shooting innocent people, falsifying police reports, lying under oath and committing other misconduct.

Is there a need for increased oversight of law enforcement?

Yes

Lawmakers with Nassau’s and Suffolk’s Public Safety Committees have not publicly discussed police misconduct since 2007.

Should the Nassau/Suffolk Public Safety Committee hold public hearings on police misconduct when issues arise?

Yes

New York City has a civilian review board that independently reviews complaints of police misconduct.

Should Nassau/Suffolk create a civilian review board?

Yes

Her comments:

I believe that the questions should have allowed a sentence or two to explain our answer. There are many contributing factors. Obviously, each case is looked at individually when reviewed and decided on a case by case basis. Therefore, a simple yes, no, or no comment is too limited for an important and vital issue such as this. I honestly believe that 99 percent of our police force does an outstanding job and it is, therefore difficult, if not totally impossible to paint the entire police department with a single stroke. And, finally, I believe we, as Legislators, must exercise our oversight by holding hearings.