Multiple residents gathered at Flower Hill’s Board of Trustees meeting Monday night to share their safety concerns and calls for increased security measures after a series of car break-ins and other crimes occurred over the weekend.

One resident, who reported two burglars were breaking car windows and stealing items from the cars and bikes from driveways, said he doesn’t think the village is plagued with crime but there are additional security measures that the village can take.

As residents shared their concerns and ideas one by one, Mayor Randall Rosenbaum responded to each one and described the plans and ideas the village also has to respond to crime.

“It’s happening all over, it’s not indicative of Nassau County police doing a bad job or Port Washington police doing a bad job,” Rosenbaum said. “We’re just inundated with these bad people.”

Rosenbaum read the October police report for the village, with one criminal mischief reported and one larceny, saying that the incidents were low despite a crime spike over the weekend.

While Flower Hill encompasses Manhasset, Roslyn and Port Washington, Rosenbaum said the Port Washington police do not include the village in their patrol jurisdiction and it is entirely handled by the Nassau County Police Department.

The mayor said he has inquired about hiring private overnight security to patrol the village during the dark hours and is planning to have a meeting with the company or at least obtain a price for the services within the week.

One issue Rosenbaum said is that the village is not easy to patrol due to its geography, which makes patrolling more complex.

“We’re not a small, little village that’s compact,” Rosenbaum said.

Rosenbaum said he has also contacted two local companies about installing security camera systems or license plate readers. He said he has meetings with them over the next week to discuss the needs of the village and the cost of the technology.

The mayor said he will have ballpark financial figures on the services available by the next Board of Trustees meeting, which the residents can join and a decision can be made on the village’s plan of action.

“And then we can decide as a village is this something that we want to add to our tax bill?” Rosenbaum said. “Because it’s not an insignificant cost to the village.”

He said there are also other avenues the village can seek out to fund the initiatives beyond increasing village taxes, suggesting working with local officials on securing grants.

Deputy Mayor Frank Genese advised residents to report suspicious activity directly to law enforcement by calling 9-1-1.

Trustee Mary Jo Collins told residents to keep in mind that if the individuals responsible for the criminal activity are underage, they “just get a slap on their wrist and they’re gone,” attributing it to the state’s bail reform laws.

In other news, the village is seeking to sell the dead-end section of Birch Lane, which is about 50 feet in length. Village Administrator Ronnie Shatzkamer said the village received three quotes for appraisals on the section of the street, which is required before it goes to public auction.

Rosenbaum said the village is looking to sell the spot because it costs money for the village to maintain the section of the street and the current homeowner is also interested in purchasing it. He said it would save the village money by not having to maintain it, such as repaving the street or plowing it to remove snow.

The board approved SVS Evaluation Services to provide the property evaluation services for the section of the road for $3,500.

The village also announced that the next village election will be held on March 19 with voting held from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Petitioning begins Jan. 2 and ends Feb. 13.

The Flower Hill Board of Trustees will convene again on Jan. 8 at 7:30 p.m.

A correction was made to the original story to clarify that the village received three quotes for appraisals on the sale of Birch Lane. The original story stated the village had received three appraisals, which was incorrect. The story was also updated to correct that the homeowners are interested in purchasing the portion of the road to be sold. The original story stated that they were interested in selling it, which was incorrect. The story was also updated with the changed date for the next board of trustees meeting.