By Angela Marshall
In a letter they delivered to the board, they said they didn't want to wait for someone to die in a drive-by shooting before something was done about the gunplay. They called for a stronger police presence day and night.
The residents were spurred to action after a Rockville Centre resident was arrested last week for firing shots at a car, which then crashed into the fence separating 40 Maine from the Housing Authority, where the incident took place.
Village Administrator Ron Wasson and Police Commissioner Jack McKeon addressed the residents' concerns and stressed that crime is not up in Rockville Centre. "We take this very seriously," McKeon said.
Two Hempstead residents, Shawn Mayo, 21, and Esau Wilson, 20, were on the Housing Authority's street, Old Mill Court, when they were confronted by Bryan Coardes, 18, who allegedly fired four rounds at their car, according to Wasson. Mayo and Wilson drove off to escape the gunfire, but couldn't negotiate a turn and crashed into the fence. They fled on foot but were quickly apprehended by Rockville Centre police.
Coardes was arrested two days later and was charged with second-degree criminal use of a firearm, first-degree reckless endangerment and third-degree criminal possession of a firearm. Mayo was charged with third-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and leaving the scene of an accident. He and Wilson were both charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, and Wilson was charged with false personation and warrants for fifth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and trespassing.
Elizabeth Krut, who spoke for the residents in attendance, said she knew she had to come forward when she learned of a neighbor who spent the night on her floor because she heard five shots and knew there were six bullets in the gun. Residents said they heard five shots, but police say the shooter got off only four rounds.
Krut said this is not the first time she and others have heard gunfire in their neighborhood. In the letter, the residents said that there have been four or five incidents this year. They also complained about other crime in the area, including car vandalism. Krut said her car had been broken into and that the wheels had been stolen from her husband's car. A woman sitting next to Krut said she had to replace her gas tank due to vandalism.
Earlier in the year, a bullet was found in the wall of a Housing Authority apartment. At that time, a town meeting was held and the village addressed some residents' concerns by adding brighter lighting. Officials are also in the middle of a narcotics investigation, which Wasson said should yield some positive results.
The administrator also said that the village recently conducted a sweep of homeless people and destroyed a camp occupied by 10 to 20 people behind Smith Pond, which is near 40 Maine. He said that much of the petty larceny residents were complaining about was probably caused by these homeless people.
McKeon said he was proud of the work his officers performed last week, saying there were five radio cars at the scene within one minute. Wasson and McKeon also left their homes to go to the scene. "We locked up everybody," the commissioner said. "That's a home run."
He promised that the police would follow the case as it goes through the court system, and said that he would personally ask the Housing Authority to consider using its One Strike policy to remove Coardes from the low-income apartment complex. The policy allows the Housing Authority to evict convicted criminals. McKeon said that in his opinion, the defendant has "lost his right to live with decent people."
McKeon offered many crime statistics, including the fact that crime in Rockville Centre is down 21 percent overall from last year.
Bill Devlin, president of the Housing Authority Board, said that the fence and light damaged in the accident will be replaced soon.
