Trustee Implores Board To Look Into Security Cameras

In the wake of a Memorial Day weekend vandalism spree in Garden City's business district, Trustee Dennis Donnelly, board liaison to the business community, reiterated his desire to place more security cameras in the village to deter such behavior.

Four businesses were hit during the three-day holiday weekend: a brick was thrown through the front right window of Garden City Pizza, the third such incident in the 13 years owner Greg Bavaro's been doing business at 670 Franklin Avenue, a window was found shattered at Pear Tree, decorative planters were smashed and a lock tampered with at Bagelman and a decorative planter was stolen from Things and Stuff.

"We have to stop this nonsense with we anticipate our youth, unfortunately. As most of you know I'm a big proponent of security cameras," Donnelly said Thursday. "But I think we owe it to the business district to have some monitors on the street ... I know it's not going to be real cheap but I think we owe it to the people who live here."

Donnelly spoke to many of the merchants whose stores were damaged, noting that Bavaro also owns a laundromat in Hempstead.

"Never has he had a window broken," Donnelly said. "We don't want to have roll down gates in Garden City in our stores and whatever we have to do we will do to make sure that doesn't happen. I implore the board again on securitry cameras. We ought to get moving on this item."

Garden City Police Lt Doyle is currently looking into proposals and getting estimates for additional cameras.

"It's not as simple as it sounds," Commissioner Ernest Cipullo said. "We have to determine what locations you want covered but we are working on it."

Cipullo said there are two private business cameras in the area of the recent incidents; one didn't show police much because it was facing the wrong direction and the other only shows daylight.

"So there are people that put cameras up but I would suggest that they might want to make sure those cameras work when they're supposed to work," Cipullo advised.