Nassau County to allow gun owners to become special deputies

Glen Cove, N.Y. (PIX11) — The Nassau County Executive plans to create a team of special Sheriff’s deputies he can call up when he declares an emergency.

He said it would be to back up regular law enforcement in the event of a major natural disaster– but his critics fear he is creating something tantamount to a personal militia.

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“God forbid there is an emergency, do you want me to have to scramble at that point to try and find people,” County Executive Bruce Blakeman said. 
 
Blakeman by executive order has developed a list of 100 residents and counting to train. 
 
He will require them to have a firearms license and undergo a background and mental health check, the county will provide basic police training. 
 
Blakeman said he will call them up in only the most extreme situation like a natural disaster– with the mission being not to police, but to guard hospitals and other infrastructure to free up sworn Nassau Police. 
 
However, in theory, Blakeman could declare anything in an emergency, so PIX11 News pressed him about if a political protest he did not agree with might be declared an emergency.

“So far our police have been able to handle any protest,” Blakeman said. “But if there was a riot I would consider it, especially at the level they were burning buildings.” 
 
However, the idea is not sitting right with Nassau County Legislative Democratic Minority Leader Delia DeRiggi-Whitton. 
 
“This group of armed people, who are not necessarily trained in de-escalation or crowd management can be summoned to whatever area they’re sent to,” she said. 
 
DeRiggi-Whitton is also concerned about the special deputies doing something wrong that will put the county at financial risk, and she makes the case there are plenty of Nassau County Police, local town police, and federal partners that can handle any conceivable emergency on Long Island. 
 
Moreover, DeRiggi-Whitton said the plan is creating deep fear for some members of the community. As an example, she quoted one resident who wrote that the plan to arm citizens reminded them of the KKK in the United States or Brown Shirts– a paramilitary Nazi group. 
 
“People are really upset about this and they are afraid of it,” she said. 
 
But Blakeman, a Republican Jewish elected leader, took exception. He spoke Thursday flanked by Jewish leaders at the Nassau County Holocaust Memorial. 
 
“It’s disgraceful, and it’s not worthy of a Nassau County Legislator, much less a leader,” he said. 
 
“He can say whatever he wants about me, everything’s in writing, and I feel very good about supporting people who are upset about this initiative,” DeRiggi-Whitton said. 
 
Blakeman said he has the authority to do this, like any municipal leader in the state, without the authority of the Governor under existing state law. 

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