Nassau Detectives Association (DAI) Endorses Joy Watson For Nassau District Attorney in Nov 3 Race

Oct. 4, 2009 - PRLog -- Nassau Detectives Association, Inc.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   

(PLAINVIEW, N.Y.) August 19, 2009—Standing on the steps of the Nassau County Court Complex, Thomas Willdigg, president of the Nassau Detectives Association, Inc. (DAI) today announced that his organization is endorsing Joy Watson of Hempstead, N.Y., for Nassau County District Attorney in the November 2009 election.

“Today, the full membership of the DAI is proud to endorse veteran prosecutor Joy Watson for the office of Nassau County District Attorney. Ms. Watson, a former prosecutor with over 20 years of experience in Nassau County courts, has been a strong advocate for crime victims and their families throughout her entire legal career. As career detectives, our membership has worked with her for decades and there is no better person to lead the chief prosecution office for our county than Ms. Watson,” he said.

Willdigg said the DAI’s endorsement of Watson is based on her solid law enforcement credentials, strong and consistent management experience, and her long-standing commitment to Nassau County.

“Joy is a Long Island native who has lived in the Village of Hempstead for more than 20 years. She has served as chief of Nassau County’s Sex Offense and Domestic Violence bureau, deputy bureau chief of the county’s Major Offense/Homicide bureau, chief of the sex crimes and mental health units, and served as a special Suffolk County prosecutor,” Willdigg said. “She is the right person to lead Nassau County and she will do more to consistently put criminals behind bars. In addition, she’ll put more financial and management accountability into the DA’s office.”

Willdigg said Watson understands the role of the detective as the closest law enforcement official to the victim of crime and their families, and the closest link to aid the district attorney in prosecuting crimes in Nassau County. “Never once in the 20 years that Joy Watson has been a prosecutor has she discounted the role of the Nassau County Detective. Up until 2006, it has always been a solid working relationship between the detectives and the prosecutor’s office producing strong results for the county residents,” Willdigg added.
He said they are endorsing Watson over the current District Attorney, Kathleen Rice, because Rice has released drug dealers to the community under her ineffective “amnesty” program and has not put resources toward fighting Internet predators. He said his teams of detectives also have more confidence in Watson to better serve the county.

“In looking at the budget, our current DA has increased spending by nearly 27% since 2006. There appears to be no accountability for the office budget growing from $26.87 million to $34.11 million in just three years while the county is in a deep fiscal crisis and laying people off. In addition, DA Rice has hired many out-of-towners to lead her office. While thousands of Nassau residents are out of work and taxes continue to rise, she thinks it is fine to run her office that way. We disagree,” Willdigg said. “She is also duplicating efforts by hiring outside people as investigators to do a Nassau Detectives’ job. That is a waste of hard earned tax dollars.”

Given Watson’s experience successfully prosecuting sex crimes, domestic violence cases, and homicides, Willdigg said she is the one to endorse. “Her campaign will focus on the need to do more to protect victims of domestic violence, combat the heroin epidemic in the county, as well as further prosecute drunken drivers. Watson will also demonstrate her commitment to allocate the necessary resources and personnel within her office to protect our children from online predators,” Willdigg said.

“I also like the fact that Joy stands for an independent judiciary. Unlike the current DA who tries to tell everyone how to do their jobs including my detectives, Joy will focus her time and energy on running the DA’s office and successfully prosecuting criminals,” he added.