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Inspector looks to set the record straight Dear Editor: At this time I must respond to comments erroneously attributed to me in both the January 9 and February 6 issues of the Massapequa Post. As commanding Officer of the Seventh Precinct, my staff and I were invited by Mayor Altadonna to speak at a Village meeting on Nov. 19, 2007. I did an overview of the Seventh Precinct, its structure, post boundaries, crime trends and arrest statistics. Captain Thomas Hayes spoke about traffic enforcement, summons activity, auto accidents and our efforts to combat driving while intoxicated. The comments in your newspaper allegedly stem from that meeting. The Jan. 9 issue quotes me as saying, "We have written more than 75 speeding tickets on Park Boulevard alone (this year) but most of those tickets are being thrown out..." That statement is an absolute falsehood. Neither the County nor Village Traffic Courts report the dispositions of their tickets to the Police Department. I have no reason to believe that tickets are being "thrown out," as you claim I stated, nor would I ever make such a baseless comment. At no time did I criticize, or even make any reference to, the Massapequa Park Village Court. Massapequa Post reporter Tiffany Elliott called me in January. She asked me about the above statement alleging my criticism of the Massapequa Village Court. I unequivocally replied that I made no such statement. I further advised her that courts do not report the disposition of traffic tickets to the police department and I have no information regarding this. In 2007, 1,331 traffic tickets were issued in Massapequa Park, of which 1,115 were returnable to the Village Court. That corresponds to an overall increase of 18.1 percent from the prior year. Tickets returnable to the Massapequa Park Village Court increased even more dramatically by 23.2 percent. I have every confidence in the Massapequa Village Court and Village Justice Gerard Giannattasio to effectively adjudicate these tickets and have absolutely no reason to believe otherwise. I remain committed to providing the best possible police services to the residents of Massapequa Park and all the communities of the Seventh Precinct. I hope to continue to work closely with Mayor Altadonna and the Officials from Massapequa Park in this endeavor.
Albert J. Jaskot, Deputy Inspector Commanding Officer, Seventh Precinct
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