GRAND ISLAND, N.Y. — "I first and foremost want to bring attention to the situation," said Lindsey Cruz, a wife mother and businesswoman who has lived in Grand Island her entire life.
The situation she's talking about is one she says hasn't really been much of a problem in the past for Grand Island.
Crime.
"I've never seen it like this in my life and I was actually unaware of if until I was personally victimized by it just two nights ago," Cruz said after would-be thieves came to her home in the pre-dawn hours, trying to steal a car from the driveway.
She posted about it on a Grand Island Facebook page and on her Instagram and was stunned at the response from neighbors.
"Four cars had already been stolen that week and that's just mind-blowing to me. ... These criminals are posting on their social media bragging about the cars they are stealing," she said.
Cruz created an online petition, calling for additional police protection here, which she says got 400 signatures in just a day.
"This petition is strictly so that when I go to the powers that be I can say, 'Hey, I have a problem with what's going on and so do these thousands of people,' " Cruz said.
Police presence on Grand Island
Grand Island has a town police force consisting one full time Officer in Charge and roughly two dozen part time officers.
However, it is also serviced by the Erie County Sheriff's Office. In addition, the New York State Police have a presence on Grand Island, as do NYS Parks Police and the the Department of Homeland Security's Customs and Border Protection Agency.
At the same time, however, Cruz believes the police can't be solely responsible for tackling crime.
"You can't put it all on the cops," she said. "I'd also like to bring attention to the community and ask them to come forward and start helping with neighborhood watches."
Grand Island car thefts
According to the Erie County Sheriff's Office, they have had six car thefts on Grand Island reported to them so this year. That may not seem like many, but it is double the number (3) reported during the first two months of 2023 in a place where there were none at all reported in the first two months of 2022.
The Sheriff's Office also noted that the concerns being brought up are not unique to the Town of Grand Island or other communities, and that they exist in communities all across Erie County.
Another law enforcement source described efforts to keep up with packs of car thieves, who go from place to place, as like a game of "Whac-a-Mole" as they pop up in one area before moving on to another. They also noted that under changes in the state's bail laws the consequences for car theft, particularly if committed by youth, may amount to no more than an appearance ticket.
More recently, the state introduced its Comprehensive Auto-Theft Reduction Strategy (CARS) to assist in the recovery of stolen vehicles.
Cruz, meanwhile, has the resources to install additional security measures to her home or to move off the island entirely.
And, while the latter thought crossed her mind, it was only briefly.
"That's not the answer," she said. "We're taking our island back."
Cruz later updated the online address for her petition and changed its focus to calling for changes to the state's bail reform laws.