Nassau County Legislator C. William Gaylor III joined with Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder and members of the Republican Caucus to announce proposed legislation to aid local veterans.
The proposed measure will correct for the absence of an identifier designating veteran status on police records. Checking the box for this vital identifier ensures a veteran’s case be potentially directed to Nassau County’s Veterans Treatment Court and will possibly enable the receipt of other necessary veterans’ services.
“As a veteran, I have prioritized this issue and applaud the police department and my colleagues for taking action to see it corrected,” said Legislator Gaylor, a retired Lt. Colonel in the U.S. Army and Vice-Chairman of the Legislature’s Veterans and Senior Affairs Committee. “I want my brothers and sisters who served to know that our Veterans Treatment Court is there for them to provide specialized services and treatment in their time of need.”
“It is imperative that we help our veterans who may be struggling with mental health or substance abuse issues as a result of their service,” said Police Commissioner Ryder. “Having this identifier as part of our law enforcement records ensures that veterans charged with non-violent misdemeanor offenses get the services that they so rightly earned and deserve.”
The Nassau County Veterans Treatment Court was established to assist veterans arrested and charged with non-violent, misdemeanor offenses stemming from combat related mental health and substance abuse issues. Currently, there is no framework to identify Veteran status necessary to streamline a veteran towards this Court and other services.
Shown in photo above, left to right: Nassau Veterans Service Agency Director Ralph Esposito, Legislator C. William Gaylor III and Veteran James Merritte.