The mayor of the Village of Lawrence was expected on Sunday night to sign a curfew into effect that will allow police to stop and question anyone out in the middle of the night.
The move comes in response to LIPA’s inaction to get the lights back on in Lawrence days after Hurricane Sandy hit and to provide the village with a sense of security, Mayor Martin Oliner said.
“It’s dark, it’s cold. We have little children who can’t bathe. Other places have it worse, but there’s no immediate switch for them,” he told Patch. “[LIPA] can do this right now. This is needless pain and suffering.”
Only about 11 percent of the Village of Lawrence currently has power, according to Village Administrator David Smollet.
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Oliner said that he hopes the power will be back on in the village on Monday. Village officials during the past week have gone back and forth with LIPA, which Oliner said “lies to everyone.” While other areas have suffered damage to wires and electrical infrastructure, Oliner said that has not been the case in Lawrence, and that LIPA simply needs to flip the switch to return power to the village.
The final hours of the curfew were not confirmed to Patch, but the latest discussion had them set between midnight and 5 a.m.
The mayor said that he expects the Fourth Precinct to enforce the curfew, and had a commitment from the commissioner that it will do so.
However, Trustee Michael Fragin was skeptical, and said that there has been less police presence in the village since Sandy hit.
The village has hired six retired and off-duty police officers to patrol the village during the blackout. There were also talks of bringing in a citizen patrol, such as Shomrim in Brooklyn.
Lawrence is also seeking National Guardsmen, which are under the purview of the Office of Emergency Management and Nassau County.
The Lawrence Yacht and Country Club has been closed indefinitely. Anyone who had scheduled a function there is urged to call the village.
