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Nassau County Proposes New $12M Police Precinct At Local Park

SEAFORD, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- Residents of Nassau County were speaking out Tuesday against a proposal to build a new police precinct on land that now used as a local park.

Cedar Creek Park, off Merrick Road in Seaford, was recently considered as the location for a $12 million plan to rebuild the 7th Precinct, CBS2's Jennifer McLogan reported. The plan would be publicly funded using taxpayer money.

The 7th Precinct covers Wantagh, Merrick Bellmore, Seaford and Massapequa. According to police officials, the 65-year-old Seaford building suffered considerable flood damage during Superstorm Sandy.

Lisa Day, of Wantagh, started a protest petition drive, urging officials to find a better location that is not near a park or residential neighborhood.

"We've all been left in the dark," Day said. "All of the information we've gotten is from resident research."

Vitale agrees with keeping the new precinct away from residential areas.

"Why subject the people to that -- you got a guy that's over there on an appearance ticket, drug addict or somethin' and he breaks out?" Carmine Vitale, 82, of Wantagh said. "Who knows what they'd do... they'd jump a fence, take a kid hostage, anything -- you got looney tunes."

Top police brass said they are listening to resident concerns, but say a new building is a must to help serve residents in the surrounding area.

"The building is deteriorating truly beyond repair...it's inadequate space for modern policing." Nassau Acting Police Commissioner Thomas Krumpter said.

Nassau County said Cedar Creek was not zoned as a park, which is why it was put under consideration for the new precinct.

Krumpter and other Nassau County police officials are holding a meeting on the new precinct plan at Wantagh High School on Tuesday night, with opportunities for the public to sound their opinions on the plan.

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