Cops beef up communications for Black Friday

Holiday shoppers venturing out the day after Thanksgiving can expect the usual - deals, crowds and the police. But this year, authorities have beefed up communications.

The Nassau County Police Department on Tuesday detailed the increased patrols that usually take place during the shopping season and outlined safety tips for shoppers. The Suffolk County Police Department will be adding 15 officers to patrol shopping areas on foot.

"We've always had these holiday patrols, but what we have done this year is stepped up the communications process with retail stores in light of what happened last year," said Det. Sgt. Anthony Repalone, a Nassau police spokesman, referring to the trampling death of a Valley Stream Walmart employee under a surge of Black Friday shoppers. "We have had several meetings with them, suggested ways of curtailing anxiety levels of people looking for certain items, asked them to have sufficient security personnel and people working who are highly visible and communicating with customers."

Commanding officers from four Nassau precincts have met with Walmart managers and executives to review crowd management plans at its Nassau stores, Repalone noted. The department has had talks with other major retailers as well.

Nassau's regular patrols will have the assistance of the department's Mounted Unit and Bureau of Special Operations, police said. In Suffolk, the police commissioner will direct precincts and its Community Oriented Police Enforcement officers "to pay special attention to high-traffic areas and high-traffic shopping areas," said County Executive Steve Levy.

"Certainly we don't want to see a repeat on Long Island of the stampede that occurred last year," Levy said, adding the visible uniformed police officers would act as a deterrent and keep the crowd under control.

Kohl's has used different methods, including stanchion sets and limits on the number of entrances open, as well as positioning associates at the front of the store to answer questions and provide directions, the company said. Toys R Us and Best Buy - which also holds a Black Friday rehearsal - have their employees maintain communication with customers in line or in crowds, hand out tickets for in-demand items and maintain orderly lines, the company said.

By KEIKO MORRIS
Posted Wednesday, November 25, 2009

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