VILLAGE OF LEWISTON: Police reporting rise in vandalism

By Dan Miner<br><a href="mailto:minerd@gnnewspaper.com">E-mail Dan</a>
Niagara Gazette

July 24, 2008 08:49 pm

— Vandals have set upon the Village of Lewiston’s commercial corridor with increasing frequency this summer.
“It hasn’t been on a regular basis but it’s definitely more than we normally have for the summertime,” said Sgt. Frank Previte of the Lewiston Police Department. “It’s been once a week during most of the last month.”
Along Center Street, there have been stolen bicycles and flower pots, Previte said. There have also been criminal mischief complaints at a village storage garage on Cayuga Drive and reports of loitering near the Water Street pumping station, which cops say could create a dangerous situation if someone fell in.
Teenagers are the likely culprits for the damage, Previte said. He stopped short of saying police suspect the same group for all the incidents but did say, “some of the stuff does appear to be similar in nature.”
The issue was brought up at this week’s village Board of Trustees meeting. Trustee William Geiben suggested putting out a notice asking the public to contact police if they see anything suspect.
“Our best line of defense is a resident calling a number and reporting what they see,” Geiben said. “Police cars cannot be everywhere at the same time.”
Residents with tips can call the Lewiston police at 754-8477 or www.lewistonpolice.org and click on the Silent Witness button.
Mayor Richard Soluri called vandalism “very discouraging,” especially considering the multitude of things for young people to do, such as municipal recreation programs and Artpark.
“It gets a little disheartening,” he said. “If the vandals are kids that live here in Lewiston somewhere then the parents are indirectly helping to pay if we’ve got extra costs.”