By John Nugent
A group of more than 20 residents came to the Great Neck Estates Board of Trustees meeting on Monday to express concern about a wave of crime in their neighborhood on the night of Nov. 30.
A Pine Drive resident reported that an intruder flashed a light into a window of his home at 4 o’clock in the morning. A resident on Crystal Drive said her car was stolen and another car on the block was ransacked. A package was stolen from 85 Cedar Drive and was later found on a nearby property. Also, items were reported missing from cars on Pine Drive and Bayview Avenue.
A vigorous discussion among the board members followed the group’s plea for more police surveillance and a request for a village plan to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Deputy Mayor Jeffrey Farkas called for the installation of surveillance cameras and license plate readers in the area. Trustee Howard Hershenhorn supported that view, saying, “We should do whatever we can do to be as modern as we can ‘police-wise.’”
Mayor William Warner strongly disagreed, however.
He said he felt that this one night of crime was an unusual occurrence and the board should not make a “knee-jerk reaction” to it. Warner also said these incidents were a “crime of opportunity” for the offenders who took advantage of unlocked doors in homes and cars to steal from their victims.
Warner went on to say that the installation of cameras would create a “Big Brother” atmosphere in what has always been a very safe neighborhood and raised the issue of their cost to the village.
“I don’t know if it’s worth spending the money for license plate readers,” Warner said, adding that he would like to see crime statistics from the last 15 years.
Addressing the residents, village Police Chief Ricardo Moreno said that the department has stepped up patrols in the community.
Sgt. Shannon Noor spoke of needing a “joint effort” between the community and the Police Department to assure safety and security in the neighborhood. Noor also urged residents to lock all car and house doors at night to deter criminals.
In other business, the board approved a measure to bring the village code into compliance with the New York state mandate to update local sexual harassment policies.
Also approved, subject to a Department of Health inspection, was a license to Osher Plov to open a Bukharian restaurant at 178 Middle Neck Road. The building is undergoing renovations.
With plans in the works to build a new village hall, Deputy Mayor Farkas introduced the idea of a design competition for the structure.
