By Jeff Lipton
LIRR president Kenneth Bauer visited the Five Towns last week and suggested security cameras to cut down on the vandalism, graffiti and other crimes that have occurred in recent months. Within the next six months, he said, cameras will be installed in about a dozen stations, including one or more in the Five Towns in a pilot project. Although he would not say which stations may be targeted for the beefed-up security, he said he was disturbed by a fire earlier in the year that was set at the Lawrence station. We're looking to put in these security cameras...and hopefully we can catch more people and then make examples of these people, Bauer said. I'm sure we could do it in the Five Towns. We have had vandalism at these stations and the cameras would be helpful. Look at Lawrence when the station was set on fire.
Bauer revealed his plans to bolster security at Five Towns stations during a Wednesday, Sept. 4 meeting at the Hewlett-Woodmere Public Library, where he addressed a small group of legislators and Five Towns community leaders about cleanup and beautification plans for local stations and tracks. The meeting was arranged by State Assemblyman Harvey Weisenberg (D-Long Beach), who has been trying to get the community involved in helping to beautify areas around the stations.
But security was also on Bauer's mind, with the recent rash of vandalism to cars in parking lots near train stations. The municipal lots near Hewlett and Woodmere were hit hard, as a slew of tires were slashed or punctured over a several month period. At the time, victims had suggested authorities set up security cameras to catch the culprits and Bauer apparently has been listening.
The LIRR chief said the cameras would be set up at the stations in such a way to zero in on vandalism in the surrounding vicinity of the stations.
Since he took over as president more than two-and-a-half years ago, Bauer told the Five Towns leaders, he has been focusing on quality of life issues, such as passengers putting their feet on seats and the overall cleanliness of the stations, as well as curbing the rise in vandalism.
When you look at it, a small group is imposing its will on a majority at large, with all kinds of acts of vandalism, Bauer said. That is why we are purchasing the security cameras.
But, he added, if people take care of the stations and make that extra effort to keep them clean, people will be less apt to vandalize it and put graffiti on the stations.
Bauer kept his promise to clean up the tracks, the right-of-way, and stations in the Five Towns this month, with crews starting with the Hewlett station between Sept. 3-5 and working their way down to Inwood on Sept. 19 and 20. The spruce-up campaign will involve LIRR crews cleaning debris from under the platform, cutting weeds adjacent to the platform, removing dead bushes and pruning the remaining bushes.
Mowing grass and trimming brush overhanging the platform are also in the plans at some of the stations. Performing heavy-duty cleaning and securing under platform fencing was also on the to-do list provided to workers.
But the community was also urged to get involved by adopting a station and planting flowers and helping in the maintenance. Assemblyman Weisenberg said homeowners and merchants' groups can join together to help improve the stations. Woodmere Merchants Association president Sy Glass told Bauer at the meeting that merchants have been taking care of the Woodmere station for quite awhile.
We organized Woodmere station and three merchants have done plantings and have maintained it, Glass said.
Brian Pinnola, who attended the meeting representing the Inwood Civic Association, said the tracks near the Lawrence side have been cleaned up but the side near Inwood, the northside, is disgusting and horrendous. It is awful, absolutely despicable, he told Bauer.
Ari Brown, a trustee for the Village of Cedarhurst, told the LIRR president he was concerned about exposed areas of track in the village, in light of a 10-year-old Valley Stream boy who was electrocuted when he made contact with the third rail in Lynbrook recently. [The tracks near] Washington Avenue [are] wide open. There is nothing there, Brown said.
On Washington Avenue you can back a car onto the tracks without realizing it, he added.
Bauer said with 700 miles of tracks, it is hard to fence in or safeguard the entire span. He said to combat children wandering onto the tracks, the LIRR has implemented a program, which involves LIRR staff going into schools and emphasizing the dangers of going near the tracks.
Bauer said he will take a look at the exposed area on Washington Avenue.
