1. Name and Address of Reporting Person
   PALAGIANO, VINCENT F.
   209  Havemeyer Street
   Brooklyn, NY 11211
   Kings
2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
   Dime Community Bancshares, Inc. (DCOM)
3. IRS or Social Security Number of Reporting Person (Voluntary)
4. Statement for Month/Year
   2/2003
5. If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Day/Year)
6. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable)
   (X) Director                   ( ) 10% Owner
   (X) Officer (give title below) ( ) Other (specify below)
   Chairman and CEO
7. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)
   (X) Form filed by One Reporting Person
   ( ) Form filed by More than One Reporting Person

TABLE I -- Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned

+---------------------------------+----------+-------------+-----------------------------+----------------+-----------+------------+
|1. Title of Security             |2. Trans- |3. Trans-    |4. Securities Acquired (A)   |5. Amount of    |6. Owner-  |7. Nature   |
|                                 |   action |   action    |   or Disposed of (D)        |   Securities   |   ship    |   of In-   |
|                                 |   Date   |   Code      |                             |   Beneficially |   Form:   |   direct   |
|                                 |          |             |                             |   Owned at     |   Direct  |   Bene-    |
|                                 |  (Month/ |             |                             |   End of       |   (D) or  |   ficial   |
|                                 |   Day/   +-------+-----+-----------+------+----------+   Month        |   Indirect|   Owner-   |
|                                 |   Year)  |Code   |V    |Amount     |A/D   |Price     |                |   (I)     |   ship     |
+---------------------------------+----------+-------+-----+-----------+------+----------+----------------+-----------+------------+
                                                                                            
Common Stock                                                                              353749           D
Common Stock                                                                              48572            I           401(k) Plan
Common Stock                                                                              29453            I           ESOP
Common Stock                                                                              0                I           RRP
Common Stock                                                                              140160           I           BMP


TABLE II -- Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned +-------------+--------+----------+---------+-----------+---------------------+----------------+----------+--------+-------+-------+ |1. |2. |3. |4. |5. |6. |7. |8. |9. |10. |11. | | | | | | | | | |Number |Owner- | | | | | | | | | | |of |ship | | | | | | | | | | |Deriv- |Form of| | | | | | | | |Title and Amount| |ative |Deriv- | | | | | | | | |of Underlying | |Secur- |ative |Nature | | |Conver- | | |Number of | |Securities | |ities |Secur- |of | | |sion or | | |Derivative |Date Exercisable +-------+--------+ |Benefi- |ity: |In- | | |Exercise| | |Securities |and Expiration Date | |Amount | |cially |Direct |direct | | |Price of|Transac- |Transac- |Acquired(A)|(Month/Day/Year) | |or | |Owned |(D) or |Bene- | |Title of |Deriv- |tion Date |tion Code|Disposed(D)+----------+----------+ |Number |Price of |at End |In- |ficial | |Derivative |ative |(Month/ +------+--+-----+-----+Date Exer-|Expira- | |of |Derivative|of |direct |Owner- | |Security |Security|Day/Year) |Code |V |(A) |(D) |cisable |tion Date |Title |Shares |Security |Month |(I) |ship | +-------------+--------+----------+------+--+-----+-----+----------+----------+-------+--------+----------+--------+-------+-------+ Stock Options $6.45 12/26/2006 Common 475270 D (Right to buy) Stock Stock Options $16.36 11/21/2011 Common 112500 D (Right to buy) Stock Stock Options $19.73 02/01/2003 A V 11650 02/01/2004 02/01/2013 Common 116500 $0.0000 116500 D (Right to buy) 0 Stock Explanation of Responses: Grant of Stock Options under the 2001 Stock Option Plan for Outside Directors, Officers and Employees of Dime Community Bancshares, Inc. All of the options expire on February 1, 2013 and vest in 25% installments on February 1, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007. SIGNATURE OF REPORTING PERSON /s/ VINCENT F. PALAGIANO DATE 02/04/2003