Long Island County upping survalience at NYC border

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Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman is planning to install high-tech surveillance along Long Island’s border with New York City when Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani takes office.

Blakeman — a Republican eyeing a run for the gubernatorial nomination in 2026 — told Fox News in a recent interview that he’s directing police and county workers to line Nassau’s border with Queens with cameras, plate readers and facial recognition tech.

“We are doing everything necessary to make sure that Nassau County is safe,” Blakeman told the outlet, calling Mamdani’s policies “pro-criminal” and “anti-American.”

The county executive’s office hasn’t disclosed a price tag for the bolstered border security but said he’d fund the price tag for the gadgets through asset forfeitures.

Blakeman, a friend of President Trump who won re-election as executive earlier this month, has run on pro-law and order policies and entered into an agreement to coordinate with federal immigration officials — in stark contrast to the sanctuary policies of other municipalities in the Empire State.

Blakeman previously announced he will hire more cops and boost the county’s existing and controversial collaboration with ICE as a reaction to the election victory of Mamdani, a democratic socialist who has made past statements critical of the police.

Last month, Blakeman and Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder discussed preparing for the incoming Mamdani administration, and noted that he was unsure how much intel the Nassau police department would continue to share with the NYPD.

“We have information that’s very sensitive,” he said on Oct. 29. “I’m not sure that we want to share it with them, or if they’ll share it with us.”

Those statements came before tough-on-crime NYPD Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch agreed to stay on after Mamdani took office.

Nassau County Democrats, however, blasted Blakeman and accused him of wasting taxpayer money in a bid to get the president’s attention.

Trump’s ally, Rep. Elise Stefanik, remains the front-runner for the GOP nomination to run against Gov. Kathy Hochul over Blakeman.

“Instead of governing, Blakeman is trying to turn Nassau County into a backdrop for his political ambitions with a stunt to get Donald Trump’s attention — opposed to focusing on true public safety he’s spending taxpayer dollars on high-tech theatrics rather than fixing our roads, investing in public services, or addressing the affordability crisis facing families across this county,” state and Nassau County Democratic Committee Chairman Jay Jacobs told The Post.

Jacobs also referred to Mamdani’s visit to the White House, where he and Trump had a surprisingly chummy hangout.

“And the question remains: when Donald Trump visits Nassau with his BFF, Mayor Mamdani, will Bruce let them in?” Jacobs added.

Asset forfeitures. In other words, legalized armed robbery. I don't understand why this isn't considered a violation of the 4th Amendment.

"Law and Order" is just another term for oppression of people who aren't white, straight, cis, Christian men.

Hmm, I wouldn't go so far as to say that "Law and Order" is just "another term for oppression of people who aren't white, straight, cis, Christian men," although it all-too-often does get used as an excuse for said oppression. For that matter, even white, straight, cis, Christian men occasionally get falsely accused of crimes and/or subjected to police brutality and/or "civil forfeiture," although it doesn't happen nearly as often to white, straight, cis, Christian men as it happens to people in various marginalized groups.

Anyhow, the police do serve various necessary functions, and the question of how to keep their role from being abused is a complex one.