Almost entirely hidden by shrubbery, the Mineola Auxiliary Police Department headquarters is situated just to the south of a recharge basin, and could often be mistaken for a pump house. Public access to the building is only available through the rear entrance.
Equivalent to a neighborhood watch, the main job of the all-volunteer Auxiliary Police is to prevent crime, but members are not armed like traditional police officers of the Towns of North Hempstead and Hempstead.
Any Nassau County resident between the ages of 17 and 65 are eligible to become a member of an auxiliary police unit. All applicants must first attend classes and training at the Nassau County Police Academy, where they are taught self-defense, first aid, CPR and the use of a nightstick. Only those over the age of 21 are allowed to work patrol duties, which is done through use of an auxiliary police car. Members aged 17 to 21 are assigned to the radio communications unit.