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.
