U.S. Rep. Andrew Garbarino, chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security, joined Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder, and former Homeland Security Committee Chair Peter King on Tuesday, Aug. 5, to discuss Nassau’s various potential safety threats during the county’s weekly “Terror Tuesday” briefing.
The visit came during Nassau’s regular weekly meeting between federal, state, and local law enforcement and Homeland Security agencies just a week after the tragic New York City shooting that left four people dead, including an NYPD officer.
“Terror Tuesday” meetings serve as a forum to exchange intelligence, discuss threats and tactics, and strengthen interagency partnerships, Blakeman said during a news conference.
“This is how we ensure a safer region,” he said.
Garbarino, a Republican from Long Island who replaced former Homeland Security chairman Rep. Peter King in the House, emphasized the importance of interagency cooperation, something he said was lacking before 9/11.
“Having that open discussion and seeing agencies working together every Tuesday is exactly what we need,” Garbarino said. “This is why Nassau County is one of the safest counties in the country.”
Garbarino also toured the county’s Intelligence Center, training facility, and its new Police Training Village in Garden City, a facility being shared with other domestic and international law enforcement agencies.
“This is a fantastic site,” Garbarino said. “We should be bringing people in from all over the country to train here.”
Commissioner Ryder noted the facility’s growing global reach. He announced he would travel to Israel on Sept. 7 to meet with the Israeli National Police and the Israel Defense Forces, who have expressed interest in using Nassau’s training village for their own drills.
“The Israeli police have seen the village and want to train here,” said Ryder. “That opens the door for international communication.”
Blakeman credited the county Legislature, including Public Safety Committee Chair Patrick Mullaney, for providing funding and support for counterterrorism efforts.
King also attended the event and voiced his confidence in Garbarino’s leadership.
“New York remains the No. 1 terrorist target,” King said. “We’re lucky to have Andrew Garbarino, he’s going to be our best friend in Washington.”
Garbarino pledged to secure whatever federal resources Nassau County needs.
“My focus as chairman is counterterrorism,” he said. “I’ll work very closely with the president and the secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, to make sure that New York is the greatest city in the world, and it’s also one of the most targeted, and we have to protect it.”
