Snow Clearing Operations

While our local Snow Ordinance ended on March 15th, we are asking for the public’s assistance during this upcoming late season snow storm. Snow is expected to start during tonight’s overnight hours and continue until approximately11:00pm Wednesday night. Please make all efforts to keep cars off town roads to expedite snow clearing operations. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated.
Respectfully,
Chief Chris McNerney
Chief of Police
Town of Greenburgh Police Department
(914)989-1740

Break-Ins Surge According to Email

 Even without receiving campaign emails from the corner office about what’s going on around Town, it’s no longer a secret that the Greenburgh Police Department has lessened their traffic control presence throughout the Town. It was most notably observed in several neighborhoods that used to have an officer in either a marked, unmarked or “shadow” vehicle sitting with a radar gun monitoring traffic, speeders and issuing tickets. The officers doing this have apparently been removed from these locations and either reassigned or perhaps even retired. While we don’t have a reason for this, we know the lack of traffic policing has not gone unnoticed.

Many residents have reached out to their civic associations to complain and find out why. The police department has admitted they are short-staffed. Quite possibly a personnel shortage might, in fact, be the reason. But we also read that the police department decided not to fill a vacant position to purchase several motorcycles. Clearly, this move would indicate the position that was open was not necessarily impactful or critical to the police on patrol. Or was it?

In one of his recent daily email campaign blasts, Mr Feiner wrote to residents that “Over a dozen unlocked vehicles were entered last night in the Joyce Road section of Hartsdale and property was stolen from within the cars. Additionally, one unlocked vehicle with a key left inside was stolen.  If each of these cars was locked this email would not have been written!” We doubt that. In fact, he would simply discuss something else. Such as, since the professionals he hired to repair the 9-11 memorial wall at Presser Park (formerly Webb Field) failed with their last attempt, he has enlisted the help of students to repair the wall and try to keep the individual tiles from falling off again.

He continues, “We are stepping up patrols and asking residents to help protect themselves by locking their vehicles at night. This crime of opportunity is plaguing many communities in Westchester and we believe the Greenburgh police have previously arrested the subjects responsible for last night’s crimes. Our officers have been in the Bronx most of the day following up.” What it sounds like is that a lack of patrols by our police might be what’s missing. Perhaps one of the new motorcycle police officers could do the patrol more stealthily than a regular patrol car?

Finally, he says, “The Greenburgh police department also has a neighborhood watch program. Neighbors who participate in the neighborhood watch efforts help the police look for suspicious activity. Let us know if you're interested in setting up a neighborhood watch program on your street. We can have a police officer meet with you and your neighbors at someone's home, provide neighbors with safety tips and advise you what action steps you could take to help us keep your neighborhood very safe.”

We are all for Neighborhood Watch programs and encourage the public to report any suspicious activity, regardless of a Neighborhood Watch or not. But Mr Feiner has cleverly switched the subject from a lack of action with the thefts in the Hartsdale neighborhood away from the real issue, that of a lack of police presence in all of our neighborhoods. Our police department is one of the best to be found anywhere. Sadly, the police chief answers to, and the department falls under Mr Feiner’s purview. 

While all of the rhetoric from the corner office will no doubt change the subject, Mr Feiner will offer to meet with anyone who is willing to talk to him. If he hadn’t already changed the subject prior to his arrival, he will do so once he is there. Then he will try to enlist the help of that person to assist him in creating a program to... We need a more visible police presence in all of our neighborhoods to thwart crime. We need speed monitoring and ticketing of those offenders who violate the law. If we have the police in our neighborhoods instead of in the Bronx or riding motorcycles, maybe we can prevent more crime here as get to know our police officers better. Only then will we get A Better Greenburgh.

Must Someone Else Die?

Many residents have indicated that speeding is an issue on their neighborhood streets. Occasionally, the police department will send a car to monitor and maybe even write a couple of tickets. But the fact is, there are too many streets, too many cars and too few police officers to stop them. We won’t bother discussing whether or not ticket quotas exist because most people already have an opinion about that. What we will discuss is that common, small infractions seem to either go unnoticed or unticketed because they are a nuisance to the police. Infractions such as illegal lane changes, using a cell phone while driving, failure to signal and so on are the ones routinely excused - unless if there's an accident. 

An officer we spoke to said he was doing speed control but only issued one ticket and about half a dozen warnings after radar-checking one particular neighborhood for an hour. He said he gave warnings to those speeding between the posted 30mph speed limit and up to 40mph. His hope was it might filter back to family and friends, with word ultimately getting back to them to slow them down. He also said that every neighborhood he does this in finds the residents are among the many speeding culprits! Either we don't have enough police officers doing traffic enforcement or enough resources for them - or both. It all comes down to money.

The Town’s Police Department budget is controlled by the Town Board. The Police Chief submits his budget request to Mr Feiner and his Town Board. Then the dance begins. Actually, the dance happens with all of the assorted Town Commissioners each year at budget time. The past several budgets have been trumpeted by Mr Feiner as being below the New York State 2% Tax Cap. Sadly, the public is being scammed by Mr Feiner’s well-honed lie originated in Albany and perpetuated here in Greenburgh that while we stayed under the 2% Tax Cap, our tax increase (this year) was 3.4%. Caveat emptor or willfully ignorant.

Regardless, the Police Chief submits what he needs and during the subsequent dance, perhaps even before and after it, Mr Feiner tells the department head to find something to cut so he can issue multiple press releases about how he found fat and made cuts in the budget. Then there's several other press conferences and releases about the budget being under the tax cap again, once upon a time Greenburgh was the 80th best place to live, essential services were maintained while staying under the 2% Tax Cap and so on. Publicity Paul will use a host of press releases, interviews and physical mailings. He'll also use the illegally held GBList. That's the email list that he and the Town are stalling the release of to Dorrine Livson of the Worthington Woodlands Civic Association after going to court and being court-ordered to give it to her under the Freedom of Information Law.

Mr Feiner's latest folly is a new traffic sign that announces how many tickets have been issued on a particular street supposedly for speeding. The issue at hand with this is that the Town is abdicating their responsibility for traffic enforcement by relying on a sign, crossed fingers and the hope that drivers will slow down. This very definitely compromises our residents and guests' safety and well-being. Also, Mr Feiner has over-advertised the new sign as his panacea for publicity, informing speeders town-wide that there are no cops nearby and speed away! So as drivers barrel on down the road,we have Publicity Paul (aka Pinocchio Paul, Posturing Paul, Federal Felon Feiner) to thank. If speeding is to be controlled by a sign, what's our next policing move? Another traveling sign to announce how many break-ins a particular neighborhood has had? By posting a sign and advertising there are no police nearby, will crime now rise?

Another conversation with a Town police officer said Feiner's sign publicity has started a firestorm of requests at police headquarters. Apparently, since Promising Paul has been asking for suggestions on its placement, the police have been inundated with requests for the sign. While we tip our hat to Preposterous Paul for another great deflection and latest the publicity coup, these requests indicate the seriousness of the speeding problem throughout the Town and the residents' desperation for relief. The Town Board has green-lighted almost every project for the last 22-years, the tenure of multiple Feiner Administrations, without having a coinciding traffic plan to control flow of traffic, speeding, parking and the like.

Similarly, many neighborhoods ask for speed bumps/humps, stop signs, rumble strips, even red light cameras to try to slow speeders. Each time the subject is broached with Town leaders and police representatives they are given a plethora of reasons as to why their requests cannot be delivered. They're told speed bumps can't be used to control traffic, they hold water and increase flooding on our already flood-prone streets. They're told you can't put in rumble strips, you can't have an officer doing speed control because of budget constraints. They're told they cannot install stop signs to control traffic. We can't do this and we can't do that? But what can they do? Apparently, more they tell us.

In one of his almost daily campaign mailings, Mr Feiner said the following:

"Speeding on South Road and North Road has always been a concern of residents of Parkway Gardens and Parkway Homes. The Greenburgh Town Board will vote on Wednesday, October 14th to accept the Police department’s recommendation to add an “all way” stop sign at South Road at the intersection of Jackson Place and at North Road at the intersection of Jackson Place.  Earlier this year there was a fatal hit and run accident on South Road. It’s the desire of the Greenburgh Police department and Town Board to make all of our roads safer and to improve the quality of life for residents. Greenburgh Police Chief Chris McNerney and his traffic safety officers deserve our thanks for their follow up on this important safety initiative and for meeting with community members prior to making this recommendation."

It appears that stop signs can be installed to control traffic flow. This is exactly what residents from several neighborhoods have been asking for. It's just so sad that a death had to occur for this to happen. The real point however, is while the stop signs may help control traffic in the future, would they have prevented this unfortunate death? Must someone else die before we see the installation of stop signs, traffic lights, controlled pedestrian crossing areas and other solutions? 

With elections approaching, this will be one of the best pieces of campaign fodder Mr Feiner has dreamed up. He will have the signs installed, send out multiple press releases, have several press conferences at the sight, posture about it at numerous Town Board meetings and lament that they cannot do this in more neighborhoods because he's limited in spending due to the NYS 2% Tax Cap - which his Town Board could vote to ignore. He'll continue on that he is committed to safety and improving our neighborhoods. Look for another sign saying that since the stop signs were installed, "X" amount of tickets have been written and "X" amount of lives have been saved.

There are serious traffic issues growing with every development Mr Feiner and his Town Board approve. Coincidentally, corresponding traffic control is noticeably absent. As our budget resources dwindle, our police department is being pushed to do more with less. Let's see how many more of the signs Mr Feiner plans to distribute throughout our Town affecting your safety and the safety of your families and visitors. Must someone else die to get action throughout our Town? This has to change. Only then will we see A Better Greenburgh.

Police Assist Tarrytown Worker at Reservoir

At approximately 11:00am Thursday morning, Tarrytown Police and Fire Departments were assisted by the Irvington Fire Department Dive Team and the Greenburgh Police with a water rescue at the Tarrytown Lakes. 

A Department of Tarrytown Parks and Recreation employee was clearing snow off of the ice for the anticipated ice skating on the lake this weekend when the tractor-plow he was operating fell through the ice. The tractor and the operator were submerged in the frigid water. 

The tractor fell through the ice approximately 250 feet from the shore. The depth of the water where the employee was submerged is unknown. The operator was able to self-rescue and walked to shore. He was in the water approximately 10 minutes. The unidentified worker was taken to the hospital and treated for hypothermia. Responders stabilized the vehicle in the water and ice and helped direct the recovery of the tractor from the water without further incident. Stiloski’s heavy duty tow truck/wrecker assisted.

Supervisor Campaigns to Girl Scouts

In a YouTube video link of Girl Scout Troop #2670, Supervisor Feiner and the Town Clerk participated in a video campaign where the girls were requesting traffic improvements for the cars and buses daily approach to drop off fellow students at their school. ABG applauds the Girl Scout Troop for their Community Service activism, although it is disappointing that it took a group of kids to recognize and highlight this issue! The fact that Paul Feiner and the Town Clerk are here proves this is just another campaign video for him at the expense of these admirable young spirits. They are unaware that they are being used.

Seeking to persuade our Police Department to make safety improvements at the Greenville School, Girl Scout Troop #2670 apparently contacted the GPD and requested a few changes be made to the drop-off area and the roadway leading to their school.They were successful in achieving their goal. ABG offers a well-deserved congratulations to the Girl Scout Troop #2670 - well done ladies! Watch their video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LP7DHwHvfBU&feature=youtu.be

This Girl Scout Troop aside, ABG is once again troubled by the fact that we have a Supervisor who is blissfully unaware a dangerous situation involving children routinely exists at the Greenville School, and continues ignoring young lives in daily jeopardy. How many other children and seniors, as well as the public in general, are being put in harms way because our Supervisor is more intent on being re-elected than actually serving and representing the public? Why did it take so long for this troubling situation to be recognized by kids and half-heartedly addressed by adults? Are there other groups of children attending other schools facing traffic peril as well? We know there are.

Where were the parents of the school children and why weren’t they complaining to the Police Department? Why weren’t they pushing the “problem solver” to address the safety of their children? More importantly, after listening to the behavior of the drivers delivering their kids to school on this video, why are their own parents violating the law and increasing the safety risk to their children while dropping their kids off to school? And where is the school’s PTA? Why is the school administration silent? With all the reports we read, these administrators are very handsomely paid and are supposed to have the best interest of the students at heart – apparently only after they step foot into the school.

At every Town Board meeting it seems our Supervisor makes a motion to become the lead agency (read: wholesaler) for yet another developers oversized proposal only to have it hastily seconded by one of his cohorts. You can almost hear the train bell approaching, roaring through the station and exiting as the Board donates their votes in favor. The phony hearing process proceeds and approvals are cavalierly dished out, numerous traffic consultant experts routinely “qualify” the project neighborhood’s increase in traffic, and the Board giddily accepts it without hesitation. But as residents consistently prove the increased traffic is slowly making it more and more difficult for them to cope, their pleas go unheeded as this Board doesn’t care*. Yet, these slow doses of increased traffic are affecting all residents throughout the Town. These Board-sanctioned increases are finally showing their impact throughout the Town. The Greenville School is only one example. Safety issues are becoming more and more prevalent as this Board ignores increases in traffic, overdevelopment, flooding, crumbling infrastructures and a planning department strictly seeking job security, all routinely blessed by Mr Feiner.

This video found the Town Clerk making a campaign statement for Mr Feiner. She told the girls he had recently met with students from Westchester Community College who wanted sidewalks for their safety when walking to the train station. “Mr Campaign” had then shown the requisite interest while the cameras rolled and the reporters wrote. He made a statement and then invited them to speak at the Town Board meeting. As Mr Feiner leads this Town Board toward shutting out the public from speaking at Board meetings, this young man’s education continues. He will quickly learn that Mr Feiner is typical of most politicians and that politicians lie. Mr Feiner is not interested in sidewalks, these students safety or whether or not this situation changes or improves. He’s only interested in one thing: himself and his re-election. If they want to stay safe, they should get off the streets as soon as they see him coming!

ABG recognizes the girls of Troop 2670 acted with purity and honesty. And again, ABG offers a well-deserved congratulations to the Girl Scout Troop #2670. Mr Feiner could learn some important things from them. Our best wishes to these young ladies.

* The one difference is the City of Yonkers approved plans to expand the property by Stew Leonards, Costco and Home Depot with more construction. Since this is literally in Mr Feiner’s backyard, he and his Board vociferously protested. Interesting how things change when the shoe is on the other foot, isn’t it?