Dozens Join Rally Opposing Blakeman's Emergency Plan Arming Citizens

MINEOLA, NY — Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman's plan to arm citizens during emergencies was met with strong opposition on Monday.

Claudia Borecky, president of the Bellmore-Merrick Democratic Club, calls the initiative "insane."

Blakeman said last week that at least 100 people applied to become deputized. The full-page advertisement indicated those interested need a skill in using a firearm, with priority being given to members of retired law enforcement, military veterans and licensed security guards.

"Blakeman wants to have his own personal militia for some imaginary emergency," Borecky told Patch.

That potential emergency has Tina Shuford, president of 100 Terrace Avenue in Hempstead, concerned.

"We don't have protection, as it is, in our communities, even if we call 911," Shuford told Patch. "You give somebody else a chance to have a gun that is not licensed that makes us more unsafe."

Nassau Legislator Delia DeRiggi-Whitton (D-Glen Cove) led the Monday morning rally on the steps of the Executive Building.

"I want to thank everyone who reached out to my office during the last two weeks to share their feedback and encouraging me to fight this misconceived idea," DeRiggi-Whitton said.

Blakeman has maintained that the citizens who are hired as Provisional Emergency Special Deputy Sheriffs would have no police powers "unless an emergency is declared by the County Executive and they are activated," the county said.

"We need highly trained individuals, trained in de-escalation [and] trained in mental health," Alternate Deputy Minority Leader Siela Bynoe (D-Westbury) said. "We want to build a relationship between our community and police. One bad act by one bad actor of this militia could erode all of the trust that we have worked [on]."

Another speaker, Leg. Carrié Solages (D–Valley Stream), condemned Blakeman.

"You know what he's trying to do. You hear that silent language. He's trying to take you back," Solages said. "Do not allow Bruce Blakeman to take you back."

Patch attempted to get a comment from Blakeman's office.

Among the signs on display at the protest were "Blakeman's Experiment Risks Nassau's Safety" and "Blakeman's Militia: More Questions Than Answers."

"This is what it looks like when someone is elected who is more interested in culture wars than in governing," Susan Gottehrer, Director of the Nassau Chapter of the New York Civil Liberties Union, said. "Mr. Blakeman, what exactly are your intentions? What is your evidence-based data that justifies the need for this? And how do we know based on your behavior that we can trust your judgment concerning the declaration of an emergency? The answer is that we can't."

Chants of "Blakeman Has to Go" reverberated, including by Great Neck's Ronald Brinn.

"The Nassau County Executive has lined himself with the MAGA troops," he told Patch. "What he's really telling us is that he has political ambitions of his own, personal goals of his own, that don't include us in any way. Putting together an armed militia of men who don't have their heads screwed on straight but have their arms at their sides and loaded is a recipe for civil war."