Lt. Kevin Meller, Commanding Officer of the Syosset Unit of the

Nassau County Auxiliary Police received the The Rotary Club of

Syosset-Woodbury's Community Service Award on Dec.12, 2006.

Syosset Auxiliary Police Needs Help from the Community

Volunteers are Needed to Help Patrol the Streets

By Christine DiDomenico

By day, Kevin Meller works an 8-to-5 job as a marine risk control consultant for the RNA insurance company. By night, he patrols the streets of Syosset and responds to calls. He can be paged out to blackouts, flipped-over gas tanks, closed roads, downed power lines, or dangerous weather conditions. Meller is the commanding officer for the Syosset Auxiliary Police, the all-civilian volunteer unit operating out of the police department's Community Safety Unit since 1951.

According to Meller, who was promoted to his position June 18, most of the volunteers work a "day" job like him. Among the members of his unit are a computer software salesman, an accountant, a lawyer and a recent college graduate. They give of their time performing uniformed patrols in marked vehicles on a set schedule and responding accordingly to a contingency plan. The commanding officer is informed of a situation; then the officer contacts the whole unit.

The auxiliary police are also called for "details," an event that occurs in the community where you need an extra number of officers to protect the public, such as parades, road races, street fairs and carnivals, fireworks shows, etc. The volunteers do not carry firearms, though they are equipped with batons.

"We're not police officers; we're civilians who are trained to handle police situations," Meller explained.

According to their mission statement, membership of the auxiliary police "affords citizens the opportunity to assist the police department in its efforts to police the county of Nassau... It promotes public cooperation that leads to greater police effectiveness."

Total membership is presently just over 300 officers for the communities with Nassau County Auxiliary Police Units. However, Meller only has six members currently in his unit, and he's looking for an increase in those numbers.

"Ideally, as many as possible, but in reality, if we could get 12 to 15 people, that would meet the needs of this community," said Meller.

With those numbers, the unit would be able to put two people in one car every night, Monday through Saturday, to patrol the community.

Men and women looking to join the volunteer ranks should contact the commanding officer of their local unit. After a verbal interview, the candidates will be given a four-page application to fill out, a background check and attend a 22-week course at the police academy.

The background check for one looking to join the volunteer unit is just as rigorous as that for a full police officer. The quickest check takes about two and a half months, as the unit verifies fingerprints, work records, education, criminal offenses and letters of recommendation. All original documentation must be presented, from diplomas to military records and proof of residency. A candidate must be at least 18 years of age, a high school graduate, a naturalized US citizen, possess a driver's license and have no felony offenses.

Joining the auxiliary police gives a second chance to those who have always thought of being a police officer, but became involved in another career, are over the age limit, or otherwise do not qualify for the regular police department, according to Meller. The commanding officer also cites the auxiliary police's visual deterrent against crime as an incentive.

"You don't know what you're preventing just by being out there," Meller says. "I get a lot of satisfaction. It's really nice when you know you're helping someone else."

Unlike the fire department, the volunteer police are not a taxing entity; they do not tax, receive any tax funds or presently have a budget from the county. They also are not - fundraise in uniform or ask door-to-door for donations, since some feel potential donors would feel intimidated or obligated by the unit's association with the police department. Though fund raising through letters in the mail is permitted, the capital to do this does not exist.

"It's very difficult," Meller said. "I have two guys coming in and they've got to wear used uniforms."

Besides new uniforms, the donations would also go toward safety equipment and vests, flashlights, batteries, batons, utility belts and winter clothes, none of which come cheaply. A pair of steel-toe safety boots, for example, run $100 and up, and a bulletproof vest runs upward of $300.

The survival of auxiliary police units relies on the community. With each new volunteer or donation, the unit can better ensure its mission to help "keep you, your family, and your neighbors from harm."

For more information about volunteering for the auxiliary police, call the unit at 522-5369. For those interested, donations can be sent to: Nassau County Auxiliary Police - Syosset Unit 309.