A local newspaper reported on June 16 of this year that the City Council opted to place cameras at the Stanley Pond and not the D’Amato parking garage where vandals have had a field day damaging the senior’s vehicles who are residents of the D’Amato.
After city officials verified with the New Britain police department that they had responded with 49 calls for such incidents this past year and 32 additional calls the year before.
Under pressure, Mayor Stewart in his usual arrogant approach publicly advised that the victims should purchase full glass-coverage on their car insurance.
Perhaps Mayor Stewart could take a little of the $1 million he is spending to pick up duck droppings at Stanley Quarter Pond to help these seniors on fixed incomes to afford such expensive insurance coverage.
The Executive Director of the Housing Authority expressed that she was upset because she had not received any phone calls regarding this issue but her property manager publicly stated, in the same article, that she was aware of these incidents a month prior. With lack of action to protect their tenant’s vehicles by the Housing Authority, Mayor Stewart immediately requested the City’s property Manager to estimate the cost of providing security cameras for the D’Amato--expecting to have this report by the end of August.
It is now October with no plan or estimates publicly mentioned in providing safety not only to the tenants but to all the citizens who use the garage from The Connecticut Bar Association, Trinity on Main, The Whole in the Wall, The CCSU students and employees at their Main Street Site, and all general public that utilizes this facility.
I must mention that the city’s Police Chief recognized the necessity of providing safety to the general public with his implantation of providing police officers to walk their downtown beats to include walking through the garage and also having the cruisers go through as well. This action by the Chief has alleviated most of the vandalism occurrences until the cameras are installed and he must be commended for his action in providing the necessary safety for the general public.
Seeing that this issue has fallen by the wayside, I fervently request that the City Council investigate when the installation can be expected to be completed and hopefully without delay.
I read council voted to buy cameras already. headline mischaracterizes reality of situation. Why are the cameras not up? The Mayor should say. I would think with all the press there has been on this that there is a good reason why it is taking so long.
ReplyDeleteMAYBE BECAUSE NO ONE AT CITY HALL GIVES A DAMN ABOUT THE SENIORS! Maybe if your mother lived there and had to worry about her safety walking to the car, you might not be so dismissive of the problem.
ReplyDeleteWhat does the mayor do, ride around Stanley Quarter Park in his little golf cart picking up the duck poop with a pooper scooper?
ReplyDeletehehehehehe, he doesn't do anything else all day, so why not let him pick up poop, and then we will at least get something for our money...hehehehehehe
ReplyDeleteReply to anonymous who reads: The heardline that appeared in a local paper read as follows: Council OKs action for pond, not garage. That headline was referring to the purchase of Cameras for the pond but not the garage. The Mayor after being pressured by a petition requesting that the cameras be provided requested the property manager to obtain estimates after the Council approved seeking those figures and to present the reults to his office by August.
ReplyDeleteIt could be that the cameras you suggest that was approved by the City Council to buy were the cameras for the duck pond.
Not suprisingly, the Mayor as failed to follow up with this badly needed project.
No surprise there, to follow up on an important issue would cut into his golf game.
ReplyDeleteI agree...security cameras are more important for the Seniors' sake than for the parks.
ReplyDeleteCan the businesses in the area...Hole In the Wall Theatre, Trinity on Main, and others whose customers use the D'Amato Parking Garage, establish a fund for either placing security cameras in the garage, or hire a security guard? I notice there is a security guard at the parking garage by City Hall.
ReplyDeletedon't they call that taxes?
ReplyDeleteEveryone knows you'll have to wait until the first snowfall to end the golf saason before you'll ever get this mayor to do anything, and even then good luck on that one.
ReplyDeletei'll bet if a councilmen or that useless mayor had a relative in the building they would take care of this
ReplyDeleteYou are right when you say the back burner this issue has been around much over a year or so
ReplyDeleteYES The safety for the elderly and the general public comes last at city hall.
ReplyDeleteOh my God, another failure of Mayor Timothy Stewart. Will wonders ever cease?
ReplyDelete