Third Precinct Officers Respond to Complaints in New Hyde Park

Officers from the Third Precinct responded to complaints from New Hyde Park residents about the Empire Billiards hall and other problem areas in the village during the last meeting of the village board on May 21 at the village hall.

POP Officer Nick Moesesso and deputy commanding officer Robert Musetich were both present with the latter rattling off a number of recent reports, including that police entered Empire Billiards on June 14 issued two parking violations and conducted a license permit check where a supervisor enters the business and that there were no violations given.

On June 15 at the billiard hall, police issued two parking violations for overnight parking, received a noise complaint, a supervisor entered the billiard hall and issued a citation for “disorderly premise” an alcohol and beverage control violation that is an appearance ticket and referral to the state liquor authority requiring them to appear at an administrative hearing.

The village had also issued two summonses for Empire Billiards for again operating without a permit and maintaining shades at a lower-than-permitted height.

At the BP Gas station on June 16, police issued an appearance ticket for an open container. That same day officers also received a public lewdness report of a man pleasuring himself in vicinity of Nuzzi Park. The investigation is ongoing Musetich said. A number of empty beer cans were also reported at Memorial Park. Residents are asked to call 911 to report any such instances to police.

On May 28 the village board had met with Inspector Sean McCarthy to also discuss the problems at the various locations in the village.

Village trustee Donald Barbieri said that the village would soon be changing parking regulations on the west side of the park on Albert Street and asked the officers to increase patrols in the area. The new regulations would prohibit parking from park closing (about 11 p.m.) to when the park opens the next day. The new ordinance would not be in effect on the residential side of the street.  The new signage is reportedly on order.

“That could be a sticky situation,” Moesesso said, asking if the residents of the block had been surveyed regarding the changes. “If you change it to the park side, so let’s choose a time like 8:30, for argument’s sake, if you’re still allowed to park in front of this man’s house across the street, they’re going there; you’re actually asking for them to go there, that seems to be the logical thing to do because it’s legal.”

Mayor Robert Lofaro said that the parking restriction was only adjacent to the park “so if we believe that we’ve expanded that to the other side of the street as well, we’ll consider that as well.”

Added deputy mayor Lawrence Montreuil: “if we find that we’ve moved the problem across the street closer to the residents then maybe that next step might be to restrict parking further on the other side of the street if the residents agree.”

The residents were not surveyed as to the potential changes in parking, which is a typical practice for any change.

“We wanted to take swifter action because the polling takes some time,” Lofaro said. “The fact is, if the restriction on the parking right now is from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. – that exists right now – so it really would be from park closing to 11 p.m.; theoretically these cars if they move to the other side, it would only be for that period of time.”

Resident Bruce Hecht said that there is parking on east and west side of Albert Street and that parking is prohibited after 11 p.m. on the residential side. He also requested “no loitering signs” be added to the area to help police step up enforcement.

“We’re going to try this, we’ll see if that disburses the crowd after they completed basketball, whatever,” Lofaro said. “We’ve found a lot of trash has accumulated after they leave. We’ll give this a try and see how this works. I think our largest problem right now is the cars that are parked there with... people playing basketball and then afterwards, even during basketball, just being there. I don’t know that we’re at this point prepared to start with the ‘no loitering’ at this moment.”

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