A group of Greenwich residents have started a petition to restore police to the intersections on Greenwich Avenue.
This week they have over 1,000 signatures.
They propose the 230-member Representative Town Meeting consider a Sense of the Meeting Resolution (SOMR) that talks about how Greenwich Ave has become a destination where drivers and pedestrians are confused at the intersections.
The petition mentions “hazardous conditions and impeded visibility.”
Last weekend, with holiday shopping at its peak, the group collected signatures at Elm Street and Greenwich Avenue as throngs of pedestrians made their way through crosswalks while cars and trucks also moved through the intersection.
Petitioners who want police to direct traffic at the intersection of Elm Street and Greenwich Ave. Saturday, Dec 14, 2024 Photo: Leslie Yager
Car passes through crosswalk as woman using wheeled device attempts to cross. Dec 22, 2024 Photo: Leslie Yager
Car and pedestrians head into the intersection at the same time. Dec 22, 2024 Photo: Leslie Yager
J-walkers on Greenwich Ave. Dec 22, 2024
The petition, which is a combination of in-person signatures, and an online version, here, suggests that the previous police presence in the intersections deterred crime.
While Greenwich Police undercover officers and bike police have made countless arrests for organized retail theft, bank fraud, and return fraud since the police stopped directing traffic, and it is difficult to determine cause and effect, the petition suggests a correlation between the absence of stationary police at the intersections and increased shoplifting.
Further, the petition features a clause: “Whereas Greenwich police have warned residents of growing burglaries from nationally organized ‘South American Theft Group’ since Sept 1, 2024.”
The SOMR requests that funding for police directing traffic in the intersections be restored at both the intersections of Elm Street and Havemeyer/Arch, for which the funding was removed when First Selectman Fred Camillo removed it from his budget in 2019. They also seek to the restore police directing traffic at Lewis St, which was removed in 2010.
The organizers of the petition also created an email address for people to respond: [email protected]
Petitioners who want police to direct traffic at the intersection of Elm Street and Greenwich Ave. Saturday, Dec 14, 2024 Photo: Leslie Yager
This is not the first effort on the part of residents to restore police to Greenwich Avenue intersections.
In 2023 there was a petition on Change.org organized by Carline Martin to bring traffic officers back to Greenwich Avenue. It reached almost 500 signatures.
Prior to that, in January 2021 the RTM contemplated a SOMR about returning Greenwich Police to their “traditional role directing traffic” on Greenwich Ave after a petition of the required 20 registered voters was submitted.
At the time, the petitioners’ explanatory comments (pages 9-11) referred to First Selectman Fred Camillo ‘s budget that removed police at intersections, and noted that the BET had taken the rare step of adding the money back, a move ratified by the RTM at their May 2020 meeting. Nevertheless, the police were kept off intersection duty.
From there, plans took shape to improve the intersection of Greenwich Ave and Elm Street, and residents became familiar with the term “bump out.”
A major upgrade of the intersection at Elm Street was planned for early spring of 2021, in which the sidewalks would be widened, or “bumped out,” four parking spots removed and replaced with plantings, and the entire intersection raised to the the height of the sidewalk.
The Dept of Public Works said they anticipated the effort would calm traffic and subsequently be a model for other Avenue intersections.
At the time, Police Chief Heavey said there were no fewer officers on Greenwich Avenue than when police were assigned to the traffic posts. He explained they were deployed differently, in response to needs of the community and new trends in crime.
He said the police retained a visible presence on the Avenue with both foot and bike patrols, and that a vote for the SOMR would be a vote of no confidence in police efforts “to address emerging crime trends and to align limited police resources with the needs of the community.”
Mr. Camillo complained about what he viewed as an effort of some residents at “micro managing the police department.”
At that same January 2021 RTM meeting, a number of residents testified in favor of restoring police officers to the intersections, including Ed Dadakis, Bill Lewis, Carl Carlson, and Valerie Stauffer. Former First Selectman Peter Tesei said he regretted having accepted former Chief David Ridberg’s removal of the police officer at Lewis Street.
Then, at the March 2021 RTM meeting, about 40 people signed up to speak, mostly in favor of the SOMR.
Still, the SOMR failed to pass at the RTM. The vote was 81 in favor, 127 opposed and 7 abstentions.
2024
Fast forward to 2024. With the pandemic over and the Avenue the busiest it’s been in years, and there has been controversy over the DPW improvements to 8 intersections on Greenwich Avenue, including the intersection with Rte 1.
The BET conditioned release of funds for the DPW intersection work on having a public hearing, which the department did on May 30.
At the hearing, deputy DPW commissioner Jim Michel said curb extensions, aka bump outs, were necessary to meet ADA compliance, but several residents were skeptical. He assured residents that the proposed intersection improvements would not be “raised” like the one at Elm Street.
After two delays over the summer, the BET released the funds for the intersection improvements in September. The work will feature accessible curbs, ramps and bump outs at eight intersections.
Not long the funds were released, John Cooper’s widely read letter to the editor lamented how he believed a “terrible mistake” had been made starting with the intersection of Elm St and Greenwich Ave.
“The removal of stationary police officers from Greenwich Avenue has been a complete failure,” Cooper wrote. “Enough of waiting for a fatal accident to happen.”
Work at intersections featuring curb extensions is anticipated to be completed in spring 2025.
On Monday Alexis Voulgaris said the deadline to submit the SOMR and petition was Dec 27 for consideration for the January RTM meeting, which is Tuesday, Jan 21.
Stay tuned.
See also:
BET Chair’s Tie-Breaking Vote Means Decision on Funding Greenwich Ave Intersection Improvements is Postponed July 16, 2024
BET Declines Funds for Greenwich Ave ADA Improvements in Tie Vote on Party Lines June 18, 2024
Feedback on DPW Plans for 8 Greenwich Ave Intersections: Comply with ADA, Skip the Bump Outs June 10, 2024
Rejected: Tide Turns in RTM against Intersection Project at Arch St & Greenwich Ave Dec 13, 2022
Bump Outs on Greenwich Ave Squeeze Through in Close RTM Vote March 10, 2022
PHOTOS: Town Leaders Gather for Ribbon Cutting at Traffic Calming Bump-Out on Greenwich Ave June 21, 2021
Priorities for Police Presence on Greenwich Avenue Debated at RTM January 20, 2021
RTM To Contemplate Return of Greenwich Police to Direct Traffic on Greenwich Ave Jan 18, 2021
PHOTOS: Town Leaders Gather for Ribbon Cutting at Traffic Calming Bump-Out on Greenwich Ave June 21, 2021
Petitioners who want police to direct traffic at the intersection of Elm Street and Greenwich Ave. Saturday, Dec 14, 2024 Photo: Leslie Yager