LEWISBORO, N.Y. – A Lake Kitchawan Drive resident says he and his family have been the victim of systematic harassment over the last several months and are appealing to the town board and local police to help out.

Joe Doherty appeared before the town board this week and told them that his family has been the “victims of malicious vandalism.”

Doherty said that back in November someone removed the lug nuts from the front left side of his vehicle while it was parked in the Lake Kitchawan Association parking lot. He said that while driving his children to church, the front wheel came off.

“It came flying off,” Doherty told the board. “I was only going 25 mph, so it was lucky that we didn’t have a worse outcome.”

Several weeks later, Doherty said someone threw a melon-size rock through the rear windshield of the car.

“These things are being under the cover of darkness,” he said. “I reported both incidences [to the police] but I wasn’t given a lot of reassurances.”

Doherty said he was concerned that town didn’t offer enough police coverage, saying it was treated like an amenity rather than a necessity.

Doherty said he spoke with Lewisboro Police Chief Frank Secret who explained to him that the police department is small and must cover about 100 miles of roads. The department is reinforced by the state police, which has an office in the Lewisboro police station.

Nonetheless, Doherty remains frustrated.

“I’ve been left on my own and have no faith that they can help,” he said. “After 11 p.m., it’s like the Wild West out there.”

Deputy Supervisor Peter DeLucia said that while Doherty’s problems were “very disturbing,” he pointed out that even if the police department had 100 patrols, it couldn’t be everywhere.

“It seems like you are being specifically targeted,” he said. “But when something like happens, we can’t be omnipresent.”

Supervisor Peter Parsons said he met with Chief Secret about the incidences.

“The police take his reports very seriously,” Parsons said. “Both the local and state police are patrolling his street on a regular basis.”

Police have suggested that Doherty install video cameras near where his car is parked.

 

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