As residents slowly transition back to a sense of normalcy in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, Garden City police commissioner Kenneth Jackson addressed the Garden City Central Property Owners' Association (CPOA) at its monthly meeting this week on the wave of storm-related crime that recently plagued the area.
Criminals have been taking advantage of the chaos still lingering on Long Island after Sandy’s destructive visit two weeks ago. Power outages, widespread home and property damage, and displaced residents have lead to a wave of looting and robberies that, according to Jackson, have unfortunately even been felt in Garden City.
According to a report the Garden City Police Department released Wednesday, on Nov. 8 at approximately 8 p.m., Garden City police officers responded to a report of a burglary at a Chelsea Road residence in Garden City. Investigation at the scene revealed that the resident returned home and observed a subject in his kitchen. The resident retreated into his driveway and the above subject fled the scene, according to police.
Later that evening at approximately 12:25 a.m. Garden City police officers responded to a report of an occupied burglary at a Third Street residence in Garden City, police said. Investigation at the scene revealed that an occupied home invasion had occurred and that the subject had discharged two shots from a firearm, prior to forcing the occupants into a basement boiler room, according to police. The subject removed property from the victims, including a set of car keys. The subject then left the scene in the homeowner’s vehicle, the report states.
An investigation at the scene by the Garden City police department revealed that two additional unoccupied burglaries had taken place at Third Street residences in Garden City, according to police. During the investigation it was discovered that similar crimes had occurred in the Village of Hempstead on Bedell Avenue on Nov. 7. During the home invasion on Bedell Avenue the subject tied up the four male occupants while holding them at gunpoint. During this home invasion the subject also fired a shot.
At this time police commissioner Jackson, Hempstead Police chief Michael McGowan and Nassau County chief of department Steven Skrynecki met and formed a multi-jurisdictional task force consisting of police officers and detectives, according to the report.
An investigation was started by this task force consisting of members of each department. As a result of this investigation, the identity of the subject, Artie R. Jackson, was developed. At this time, members of all three departments began a manhunt for the subject, police said.
On Nov. 11 at approximately 10 p.m., officers from the Nassau County Police Department responded to a call at a residence in East Garden City within the confines of Nassau County's Third Precinct, village police report.
Upon arrival at the scene it was discovered that a violent home invasion had occurred in which the female homeowner was assaulted, according to police. It was also discovered that the homeowner’s vehicle was stolen during the home invasion. Investigation at the scene further revealed that several other burglaries had been committed on the same street.
Police report that upon notification of the stolen vehicle, members of the multi-jurisdictional task force responded to several locations where they believed the subject may be responding towards. This information was developed by the task force during their investigation. The subject was observed operating the victim’s vehicle by a task force member at one of these locations in Hempstead, police said.
The subject refused to stop when officers attempted to stop him and ultimately crashed and fled the vehicle. After a foot pursuit, the subject was located in the rear yard of a Lincoln Avenue residence in Hempstead and arrested, police said.
The subject was charged with the home invasion from the residence in East Garden City, the home invasion from Third Street in Garden City and the home invasion from Bedell Avenue in Hempstead, according to the police report. The investigation is ongoing and additional charges are expected regarding the additional unoccupied burglaries in Garden City, East Garden City and Hempstead, police said.
Artie Jackson, a 46-year-old career criminal, has been arrested 16 times.
In an effort to maintain village security issues caused by Hurricane Sandy’s passing, officers and detectives were diverted from most other duties and assigned to patrol the streets of Garden City. Jackson praised the hard work of the men and women on his force during these trying times.
“To their credit, the day of the storm, and every day afterward, all of my people came in...many of them had lost their houses, or had houses that had sustained damage, or had lost their power, but they still did their jobs,” he said. “I’ve very proud of them...this was a trying time, and many of the people in the Police Department and the Fire Department, really put their lives on the line.”
Jackson, who has been with the Garden City Police Department since 1985, was recently appointed commissioner following the retirement of Ernie J. Cipullo earlier this year, who served as commissioner since 1981.
CPOA president Gary Kahn echoed Jackson’s esteem for the hard work village employees pulled off when responding to Hurricane-related issues.
“These are very trying times for everybody,” he said. “I want to give thanks to the village administrators, the department heads, and the workforce for the good job they have done.”
Mayor Don Brudie also attended the meeting, and pointed out the dedication of his workers in clearing the streets and doing their part to lessen the blow of Hurricane Sandy to the community.
“The workers have been working day and night, some of them seven days a week, trying to keep up with the tree problems,” he said. “We worked right when the storm hit to remove fallen trees to try and make the power lines accessible to the Long Island Power Authority so they could do their job and restore power to residents.”
Carisa Giardino contributed to this article.
