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Nassau County to Install Cameras and License‑Plate Readers Along NYC Border After Mamdani Win

Bruce Blakeman, Nassau County executive, has ordered license‑plate readers, facial‑recognition systems and video cameras along the border with New York City after Mayor‑elect Zohran Mamdani's victory. The county is also boosting police recruitment while about 100 cadets train at the police academy. Blakeman framed the actions as protecting public safety and contrasted his law‑and‑order stance with Mamdani's past criticisms of policing and proposals for alternative emergency responses.

09:52 AM, 11/25/2025Security
Nassau County to Install Cameras and License‑Plate Readers Along NYC Border After Mamdani Win

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman has instructed local authorities to install license‑plate readers, facial‑recognition capability and video cameras along the county line with New York City following the election of Mayor‑elect Zohran Mamdani. Blakeman, who was re‑elected to a second term this month in a predominantly Democratic county, framed the move as a precaution to maintain public safety.

In an interview, Blakeman said the new border technology will be paired with expanded staffing: Nassau is recruiting additional officers while roughly 100 police cadets are currently enrolled at the Nassau County Police Academy.

"We are doing everything necessary to make sure that Nassau County is safe," Blakeman said. "We are installing technology along the border of New York City that will read license plates, that will have facial recognition, that will have video cameras."

Blakeman also emphasized continued investment in training, equipment and other resources for the county's police force. He described public safety and affordability as central themes of his re‑election campaign and said those messages helped him attract independent voters and crossover Democrats in a county with more registered Democrats than Republicans.

Blakeman criticized Mamdani's past comments about policing and questioned some of the mayor‑elect's proposals, including ideas to expand non‑police crisis responses. "He talks like he's pro‑criminal, not pro‑victim," Blakeman said, adding that he believes some of Mamdani's policies could harm New York City's economy. He invited residents leaving the city to consider Nassau County, which he described as "safe and affordable."

Supporters of Mamdani argue that reforms such as incorporating mental‑health professionals into certain emergency responses aim to reduce harm and improve outcomes; critics, like Blakeman, warn they could weaken traditional law‑enforcement responses. The county's planned surveillance upgrades have raised privacy and civil‑liberties questions among advocates who caution about facial‑recognition technology and expanded data collection.

The decision highlights a broader local debate: balancing public‑safety priorities with civil‑liberties concerns and how suburban counties adjacent to large cities respond to political shifts across municipal borders.

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