By:Andrew Grant
Michael Johnson and his Lynbrook neighbors were not pleased when they looked toward Marion Street Elementary School and saw crowds of pre-teens gathered every night after dark. Teens were hanging out on the poorly lit school property which sits on the corner of Marion Street and Waverly Avenue and they were causing a disturbance to local residents. Early this summer season, there were reports of trespassing and other "nuisance behaviors," as well as an alleged assault.
"It was a growing problem," Johnson said.
So on July 6, Johnson and roughly a dozen other residents showed up at the Lynbrook Board of Education meeting to voice their concerns. The residents spoke, the school board called for immediate action, and the district responded with a flurry of security measures. Johnson agreed to track the district's progress and serve as liaison to his neighbors. Three days after the board meeting, Johnson met with Allan Scotto, the Lynbrook district's director of facilities, to discuss the district's solutions to the problem.
Within two weeks, two 400-watt lights were installed on the utility poles surrounding the school and a third light is expected to be installed in the near future.
"They light the place up like Yankee Stadium," Johnson said.
The new lights consist of 400 watt high pressure sodium bulbs mounted onto the utility poles along the street. One light looks down on Marion Street, one on Waverly Avenue, and another one, on the corner of the two streets. These "dusk-to-dawn lights" were purchased from the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) through its Light Solutions program. The lights are installed and maintained by LIPA and the only cost to the district is $30 dollars a month for each light. The light fixture on Marion Street has yet to be installed because there is a dispute over ownership of the utility pole.
The two week response time was a surprise considering that LIPA informed the district that it would take about three to four weeks. Scotto has utilized LIPA's program before and pushed for the job to be completed as soon as possible.
"Allan's relationship with LIPA helped move everything forward," Johnson said.
Scotto pointed out that dusk-to-dawn lights have already been installed at four other Lynbrook school district schools - West End Elementary, Atlantic Avenue Kindergarten Center, South Middle School, and Waverly Park Elementary.
Joe Tartaglione, senior sales representative of commercial/industrial sales for the power company, said that while the LIPA Light Solutions program is designed for business, it has been utilized by many institutions, including schools and churches. "They are effective for security as well as public safety," he said.
Taking the issue of trespassing and potential vandalism seriously, the district went further than just the new lighting. Lynbrook School District Superintendent Dr. Philip Cicero met with the district's security company, Sammed Security, to discuss ways to keep a closer watch at the Marion Street school. Cicero further approved the installation of a video surveillance system to patrol the outside of the school and signed a standing desk deposition, allowing 4th precinct police officers to arrest any trespassers caught on school grounds.
While the school is part of the Lynbrook school district, it is in the village of East Rockaway and that area is under the jurisdiction of the 4th precinct police force. The village of East Rockaway offered help as well, agreeing to step up the amount of auxiliary police surveillance around the school.
While the lights are the main solution to the security problem at the school, the district also made some changes in the way security guards patrol the area.
After meeting with the security services management, the district decided on a policy for guards to clock in when they arrive for their shifts at the school. "This holds guards accountable and documents where security is at a given time," Cicero said.
The district also purchased lockboxes to keep the keys safe and made sure that all guards possess cellular phones so that they can report any trespassers to local police.
According to Cicero, the district's efforts to make the area around the school safer have worked thus far. He said that a few members of the administration have visited the school at night and observed plenty of light but no trespassers.
Johnson, along with other area residents, is more than satisfied with the district's swift progress in resolving the problem. He said that several residents plan to attend the next board meeting to thank everyone for their help.
"The school board took immediate action to work with the district staff," Johnson said. "It is a wonderful moment when the community unites to meet a need head on," said Johnson. "The community expressed an issue and the school board moved very quickly, along with school district 20, the 4th precinct, and LIPA."
Cicero said that the district would be ready to act if a similar problem arose at any other of the Lynbrook schools. "Clearly we are watching the other schools closely," he said. "There are no complaints from residents, as of yet."
All parties involved with this project acknowledged the importance and effectiveness of a community working together to achieve a common goal.
"This was a cooperative effort of many different groups," Cicero said.
Johnson sees this experience as an inspiration for other residents to voice their concerns and work towards a solution.
"I hope that this empowers other people to go up to their elected officials when they have a problem," he said. "It gives you hope that you're not powerless. This was a win-win for everybody."
