Sometime on Sunday afternoon, May 6, vandals damaged 13 trucks belonging to the Village of Sleepy Hollow, including the village's entire fleet of garbage trucks. The trucks were parked at the old GM plant behind locked gates. All of the trucks suffered broken windshields, headlights, side windows and one "out of service" pick-up truck was set on fire and burned to the ground.
"It was a huge fire visible from Beekman Avenue," said village administrator Anthony Giaccio at the regular Board of Trustees meeting last night.
On Monday, Police Chief Gregory Camp was still assessing the extent of the damage, which by Tuesday's report included all 13 trucks.
Mayor Wray described the damage to the vehicles in detail and said the criminals did a great deal of damage. "They used hammers and golf clubs to break every window and mirror. This was not a robbery. It was a malicious act by someone out to destroy public property."
During her report on the Department of Public Works, Trustee Evelyn Stupel said garbage and recycling pick-up would be delayed as a result of the damage because two of the village's five garbage trucks are out of service. There will be no bulk pick-up on Monday.
Trustee Jennifer Lobato-Church reminded residents that the GM site is private property. "No one is allowed on that property without permission of the owner. I don't care if the gate is open or if there is a hole in the fence that has been there for ten years," she said.
Wray urged anyone with information about the incident to report it to the .
Safety and law enforcement in the inner village has been lackluster, at best, as of late. It makes arguing against the county taking over difficult, when municipal assets can't even be protected. It draws into question the ability to protect the public safety.