Crime in Hempstead-Print Version

Crime in the village of Hempstead, specifically drug use and distribution, has deterred the growth of the community for quite some time.

There were over 2,600 criminal offenses in Hempstead in 2007. That number is projected to be matched in 2008. There were seven murders all of last year and there have been five this year through Apr 1. Where is this going?

Areas like Terrace Avenue and Bedell Street have become the lowlights of a village that use to service as the “hub” of Long Island. People like Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice and Hempstead Chief of Police Joseph Wing are hard at work in ridding Hempstead of violence and drug use.

“On January 8th, we started the Terrace-Bedell Initiative,” Chief Wing said. “The Hempstead Police Department partnered with the District Attorney’s office.”

The Terrace-Bedell Initiative was put in place as a precursor to future initiatives that will rid neighborhoods of drugs and violence. The program implemented in Hempstead is based off an initiative that was implemented in North Carolina called, “The Ashburton Ave. Partnership.”

“Recently, we took 14 individuals and gave them the opportunity to not be arrested as long as they agreed not to engage in criminal activity,” Wing said. “In an effort to help them, we offered them educational services, health and awareness services etc. to aid them.”

Rice, a Democrat, unveiled the plan during a meeting at the African-American Museum in Hempstead, near one of the county's largest, most violent and longest-running open-air drug markets.

Some critics of this initiative have questioned as to why a predominately African American neighborhood was chosen for this and not a mixed or Caucasian sector.

“This community chose itself,” Kathleen Rice said. “Any allegation involving motivations having to do with race are just distractions from the main goal here.”

The goal of the initiative is to create a safer environment, which use to be known in that area of Hempstead.

“We have a community that wants to be able to raise their children in a safe environment.”

With violence and drugs coupled together, it’s hard to find a reason as to why this neighborhood should not have been chosen.

“The community dictated the initiative,” Rice said. “We believe this will be successful because of their involvement.”

To view a comprehensive study of Hempstead, NY and statistical information that covers demographics concerning income, race demographics, housing rates, etc. click here

To see a comprehensive spreadsheet of criminal activity reported from 2002-2006 in all of Nassau County, NY, click here