WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER SETS RECORD VISITS FOR YEAR 7,017,658 VISITS! 2,098,003 VISITORS MADE 6 VISITS A DAY EVERY DAY. 63,330 UNIQUE VISITORS MADE 133,730 VISITS IN DECEMBER. WPCNR AVERAGED 17,284 VISITORS A WEEK, VISITING 31,270 TIMES.

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WPCNR POLICE GAZETTE. By John F. Bailey. July 5, 2005, Updated July 7, 2005: WPCNR has learned The City of White Plains is reported planning a “Summit Meeting” between the Commissioner of Public Safety, Dr. Frank Straub, Mayor Joseph Delfino, and the Department of Parking to review security within The Galleria Municipal Parking Garage and other municipal garages about the city to review the security situation, according to a city source who will be participating in the meetings. Mayor Joseph Delfino, through his Executive Officer Paul Wood is also calling for county monitoring of homeless persons they drop off in the city during the day.

PAUL WOOD. CITY EXECUTIVE OFFICER. Photo, WPCNR News Archive.

In a related development, WPCNR has learned that video tapes viewed by police of the Galleria garage show the person arrested and charged with last Thursday’s murder of a White Plains woman show the suspect walking in the garage. A taped interview with the subject played in court Tuesday, revealed the suspect had been walking in the garage for approximately two hours before the crime was committed at 1:15 P.M.  The video tapes do not show the crime scene.

WPCNR has also learned from an owner of a business located within The Galleria that the suspect was known to frequent The Galleria garage, and was seen there regularly within the garage.

Ron Jackson, the former Democrat candidate for Mayor, told WPNCR Wednesday evening that homeless persons breakfast at McDonald’s mornings after leaving their shelters. characterizing the group as “a Breakfast Club.”  

Dennis Power, the current Democrat Candidate for Mayor, and formerly supervisor of WestHab, a homeless shelter in Westchester County has not returned WPCNR requests for comment on the Homeless issue or the security of municipal garages in White Plains.

“No summit meeting is scheduled at this time,” according to an e-mailed statement received from Paul Wood, City Executive Officer, in response to WPCNR’s inquiry as to when the Parking Security Summit Meeting was going to take place.

“This murder is really not a result of the lack of security, but rather the result of a person being on the street who clearly did not belong there,” Wood’s statement reads. “As for the other questions regarding the specific incident itself and security monitoring of the garages, I must refer you to Inspector Dan Jackson at Public Safety.”

Mayor Calls for Monitoring of the Homeless During Day.

In response to WPCNR’s request for a clarification of the Mayor’s position regarding the continued existence of homeless shelters within the city itself, Wood writes “The Mayor is not advocating the closing of any shelter. He is, however, suggesting that if the County is going to be responsible for caring for the homeless then they ought to do so in a more responsible way and maintain some type of supervision or monitoring during the day, rather than abandoning them in communities for 16 hours a day.”

Mr. Wood’s statement did not say whether the Mayor feels shelters located within the city should monitor their residents whereabouts during the day.

A spokesperson for the Westchester County Department of Communications informed of Mr. Wood’s statement said she would attempt to get comment.

Garage Video Shows Murder Suspect in Galleria Garage Prior to Killing.

WPCNR has also learned from a person familiar with the content of The Galleria  video tapes of the area in question, that the video does show the alleged suspect walking in the garage area on the tape. Asked if the video shows the actual assault, the source said the video does not.

Inspector Daniel Jackson of the White Plains Police Department told WPCNR the police department would not comment on the content of the tapes, as they are part of the investigation.

Galleria Video Taping System Not Designed for “Security.”

WPCNR has also learned from a source familiar with how The Galleria video system functions  that it is “not designed to be a security system. It is designed to monitor traffic flow, and identify backups. The cameras do not sweep back and forth as a security oriented system.”

WPCNR asked Inspector Jackson of the White Plains Police Department to comment if the video system in The Galleria was more designed for traffic, and if it was a fixed system. Jackson said he would have to check into that for WPCNR.

WPCNR asked Inspector Jackson how long it took for the victim to be discovered until the passerby cellphoned the police to report the assault. Jackson said he could not pinpoint that, but said an officer in the immediate vicinity responsed within 30 seconds and radio a description based on comments from passersby, resulting in the arrest of the suspect shortly thereafter.

Last Thursday’s murder of a White Plains woman at approximately 1:15 P.M. in the afternoon, and the suicide off The Galleria roof in February, 2004, are the two most serious incidents to take place in city municipal garages recently.

But, security in the city’s municipal garages was most seriously breached during a series of 14 thefts of halogen headlights taken from Lexus automobiles parked in various city garages six months ago in November-December, 2004. 

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WPCNR CITY HALL CIRCUIT. July 5, 2005: A spokesperson for the Mayor’s Office when asked this morning if Mayor Joseph Delfino advocated the eventual closing of homeless shelters in White Plains, which include Open Arms Shelter and Samaritan House – the spokesman said, “That’s a real leap,” and declined to answer the question further. Asked if the city planned any closer scrutiny of homeless persons living in White Plains, the spokesperson after being verbally abusive to this reporter, hung up the telephone.

 Mayor Delfino advocated that Westchester County stop its policy of dropping off homeless persons in White Plains in a statement response to the last Thursday afternoon murder in The Galleria Mall Municipal Parking Garage. That killing was allegedly committed by a homeless person, and Level 3 Sex Offender, who was dropped off in White Plains by a county drop-in shelter van earlier that day.

The Mayor’s Office in a separate phone call  was also asked if any tightened security measures are being considered for the municipal garages in White Plains. The assault and killing of the White Plains victim took place on Level 7 of  The Galleria Municipal Garage. According to police was reported by a passerby by a cellphone, and not observed by  the Parking Garage Office Personnel who have television monitors observing the various levels of the garage.

In the Mayor’s statement he praised municipal garage security arrangements, though a homeless person  wandering in The Galleria Garage in February, 2005,  committed suicide by leaping from the structure undetected by Galleria Garage security.

Calls to the Mayor’s Executive Officer, Paul Wood, and the Department of Parking as to what measures might be considered to enhance Municipal Garage Security have been placed by WPCNR.

Calls to the Westchester County Department of Communications to see if the county plans tighter monitoring of the character of homeless persons the county drops off in White Plains and other cities have also been placed by WPCNR. The County was also asked if the Department of Social Serivices plans to register and alert police as to the identity of homeless persons being distributed to their community.

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WPCNR POLICE GAZETTE. From The Mayor’s Office. July 4, 2005: Friday afternoon, Mayor Joseph Delfino of White Plains issued a statement on  Thursday’s murder of a White Plains woman, Concetta Russo Carriero, in The Galleria Municipal Parking Garage in White Plains. The suspect in the killing  had been dropped off in White Plains by a Westchester County Drop-In Homeless Shelter bus shuttle early Thursday morning.

Mayor Joseph Delfino,White Plains. Photo, WPCNR News Archive.

White Plains police arrested the suspect, based on a description of witness, shortly after the victim was discovered on the seventh floor of the Galleria garage. In his statement, Mayor Delfino comments that he will work to prevent homeless persons from being routinely dropped off in White Plains daily after leaving the Airport Homeless Shelter. The Mayor’s Statement:

I am shocked and saddened by the tragedy that occurred this week at the municipal parking structure at the Galleria Mall.  Our hearts and prayers go out to the victim’s family, friends and co-workers.

The issue of personal safety is something that we take very seriously here in White Plains.  We have, and will continue to monitor and address the safety in our public parking structures.  Our Public Safety Department continuously works with the security details at our public malls.  We have directed police patrols through our parking structures, video cameras and a wide variety of tools meant to ensure the safety of those who use our facilities. 

Obviously, when a senseless act like this occurs, it raises public concern.  I think it is important to note that crime in our city is down nearly 37% over the last two years.  The number of incidents in our municipal garages is minimal.  This was a senseless and random act of violence that could well have occurred anywhere.  Most importantly, a White Plains police officer was by the victim’s side 30 seconds after the crime was first reported and, fortunately, the suspect was captured within minutes.

That being said, I was particularly distressed to learn of the background of the suspect involved and how he came to be in our City that day.  It is incredible to me that an individual such as this, a level 3 sex offender, was dropped off by the County in our City at 6 am to roam our streets without notification or monitoring. I’m very proud of our Public Safety Department, but they can only do so much.

The practice of dropping individuals of varying backgrounds off in our City is something that is very troubling, and it is irresponsible.  I am calling on the County to halt this practice which jeopardizes the safety of our residents, visitors and employees and I call upon the County Public Safety Committee to review the policies and practices of the Social Service agencies that deal with these individuals.  If necessary I will initiate legal action to stop this practice.  This can never happen here again.

I have spoken to the victim’s family, and I will also work tirelessly to get civil confinement legislation passed in Albany so that a senseless and unnecessary tragedy, such as the one that occurred this week, can be prevented.

Joseph M. Delfino

Mayor, City of White Plains

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WPCNR EAST SIDE STORY. By John F. Bailey. June 27, 2005: Vito Cappello, Vice President of Hitachi North America, told WPCNR today, that his inquiries of New York Presbyterian Hospital on the status of their proton accelerator project, which comes up for a site plan renewal in approximately 90 days before the Common Council, have not been responded to. Cappello made his inquiries about one month ago, and has not had his calls returned he told WPCNR today. He also said that the University of Pennsylvania medical center should be making a decision on the vendor to build their proton accelerator facility in Philadelphia within two weeks. Cappello said he had no knowledge of whether New York Presbyterian Hospital was talking to other Proton Accelerator vendors.

New York Presbyterian Hospital has not responded to extensive questions on whether or not their proton accelerator/biomedical facility project is still a live project, or whether they are contemplating sale of their land in White Plains. If the Common Council is asked to renew the special permit for a fourth year (2005 being the third year the project has been approved while nothing has happened on the site), this would probably come up on the September agenda.

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WPCNR MAIN STREET JOURNAL. By John F. Bailey. June 27, 2005: A supervisor working with the homeless women residents of Samaritan House at Grace Church told WPCNR today that they are anticipating the residents who number at least a dozen women and less than twenty ( the person would not give an exact number), will be moved out of the facility in the very near future,  (early July) reportedly to Pleasantville.

Samaritan House Is Currently Housed in the Grace Church Annex. Photo, WPCNR News Archive.

The women, according to the supervisor we spoke said the women have not been told where they are going.

WPNCR called Joe Rubin of Open Arms the other homeless shelter run by Grace Church Community Center to get details of the move, and is awaiting his return call.

Bruce Berg, of Cappelli Enterprises, said that the Cappelli organization is finishing their drawings of the renovations of the Grace Church annex, (where the Samaritan House residents are presently housed), and finalizing their construction agreement with Grace Church. Berg said he expected work to begin on the Grace Church annex by the end of this year. He described the work as replacing windows, replacing air conditioning, new bathroom construction, new “lifts,”  and described it as “layered”. The construction originally proposed by Cappelli Enterprises in the interest of being a good neighbor, is the reason the Samaritan House residents need to be moved.

Two weeks ago, County Legislator Bill Ryan (who fought hard to keep Samaritan House open and serving the homeless) told WPCNR there were no plans to move the residents out of the shelter two weeks ago, when WPCNR brought up this issue. Ryan said that any funding the Department of Social Services budgeted for operation of Samaritan House would stop, unless Grace Church continued to use the monies to house the women who were residents of Samaritan House elsewhere for the same expense. Whether or not Grace Church would be required to return any difference in what they would pay another facility to house them (if less), is unclear, pending determination of where the Samaritan House residents are going, and what the arrangements are. Ryan said two weeks ago that another scenario would be he thought the residents would come under the care of the Department of Social Services, and funding would stop for Samaritan House.