Crime & Safety

Orangetown Police: Often, Criminal Activity Specific to Nyack

A recently completed study highlights criminal activity in Nyack

When the Town of Orangetown had an independent consulting group carry out a comprehensive study of the —an undertaking that culminated in a nearly 50-page analysis this March—one trend quickly surfaced: crime in Nyack.

According to the study, criminal activity in Nyack is one of the department's four largest issues. "The long-standing and continuing crime and disorder problems in Nyack... [account] for the vast majority of the town's serious crime and disorder," the study notes.

It is particular segments of the village—and not the whole—that house the crime, the study points out. Most residential areas are relatively free of problems; it is the strip of bars on Main Street and the nearby Nyack Plaza that are troublesome.

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"Nyack's lively bar scene draws large crowds on Friday and Saturday nights with resultant fights and disturbances involving intoxicated persons," the study reports. Also, professional thieves patrolling the bars and pickpocketing unsuspecting revelers is not uncommon either, police said.

Recently, several teenagers were —where they scuffled with police and injured an officer. In 2010, several violent incidents at the now-defunct Riviera Steakhouse led to .

Find out what's happening in Nyack-Piermontwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Just a few blocks away from the bar scene is Nyack Plaza, which the study labels a "locus of drug dealing" and street violence. In February, the department carried out a that had roots all over Rockland and New York City. Six Nyackers were arrested and charged with peddling cocaine, marijuana and prescription drugs.

Coupled together, the crime at Nyack's bars and Nyack Plaza make up a substantial portion of Orangetown's crime. Here's a look at the percentages in the first eight-and-a-half months of 2010:

  • Nyack accounted for 70 percent of the town's robberies,
  • 62 percent of narcotics arrests,
  • 44 percent of fight locations,
  • 78 percent of disorderly conduct arrests,
  • 38 percent of the larcenies,
  • and 21 percent of burglaries

Exacerbating the problem, the study reports, is Nyack's location.

"The crime problems in Nyack are particularly difficult to manage because of Nyack's location closer to the other villages of South Nyack, Grandview-on-Hudson and Piermont, where the Orangetown Police Department does not patrol, and separated by the hilly terrain of Blauvelt State Park and Tallman Mountain State Park," the study explains.

So what's the solution? Several officers interviewed for the study offered their suggestions—most of which were to up police presence in the area.

"Whether the problem is a car break-ins along a given street or known drug-dealing groups, these officers believe that sharply focused enforcement efforts could eliminate or minimize these problems," the study explains.

Authorities believe past policing patterns—when Orangetown had a more robust Special Enforcement Unit (SEU) and 12 percent more manpower—would help to fix the problem.

The study makes suggestions of its own for curtailing Nyack crime. Reestablishing the SEU, which could then carry out thorough, long-term investigations, is one option. Also helpful would be the appointment of a second captain to bolster enforcement, the study notes.

And such solutions wouldn't necessarily cost taxpayers more money.

"These kind of strategies create greater opportunities for apprehending perpetrators... and should, in the long run,  be less costly than the stopgap measures currently being funded by overtime," the study notes.

James Sullivan, a sargeant with Orangetown Police, said the department has taken note of the survey and will continue focusing attention on the troublesome portions of Nyack.

"We already have a good amount of coverage," he said. "And on weekends, when there are people at the bars, we always have four or five extra patrol cars out."

Sullivan added the department has not yet had time to fully delve into the study.

Jen Laird-White, a Nyack trustee who also acts as the village's liaison to the police department, noted the municipality is pleased with the area's coverage.

"We understand the issues Orangetown Police are up against," she said. "The village is very happy—they're doing the best they can with the resources they have."


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