LTE: Camillo Comments On Attempted Greenwich Avenue Robbery

The following was submitted to Patch by Greenwich First Selectman Fred Camillo following an attempted robbery on Greenwich Avenue Monday.

The recent incident on Greenwich Avenue, described in the GPD statement below, is a reminder that even though Greenwich recently was rated as one of the safest towns in Connecticut, we are not immune to being a target for thieves and criminal activity.

Since the incident at the Apple store, there has been much commentary, misinformation and disrespectful comments posted on various social media platforms. I want to reassure both residents and the visiting public there is more police presence on Greenwich Avenue than ever before.

The four-member bicycle patrol unit as well as a minimum of two undercover police officers and a patrol car are assigned to protect visitors, pedestrians and businesses in the entire central business district. This deployment of officers is considerably more than the two traffic officers assigned to two intersections for seven-hour shifts. The traffic officers could not leave their posts to respond to incidents, they were required to call in an incident.

This staffing model also has been responsible for apprehending several criminals charged with various crimes. Could Monday's crime of opportunity have been prevented? This is a question that can be debated at length and, in the end, one for which we don't have an answer. We are grateful that no one was seriously injured.

The GPD is working hard to identify and bring the two suspects to justice. As a reminder, please be aware of your immediate surroundings and report any suspicious behavior to 203-622-8004.

Click here for the GPD's news release on Monday's incident