Police Investigating Commercial Burglaries In Greenport

GREENPORT, NY — Police are investigating a number of commercial burglaries in Greenport Village, Southold Police Chief Martin Flatley confirmed Friday.

"We are working on them, but no arrests as of yet," he said.

Although Flatley did not elaborate on what businesses had been burglarized, owners turned to social media to express their concerns: "Front Street Station was robbed at approximately 1 a.m. on Thursday," said owner Sharon Sailor. "Be aware, be alert. If anyone has information about this, please come forward. We work hard, put in long hours and sacrifice a lot of life’s little nuances to do what we love, and to be violated monetarily and emotionally in this way sucks."

Sailor said the culprit stole the cash drawers, complete with cash, a garbage pail and a pushcart with dirty laundry. "The garbage pail, pushcart and dirty linen have been recovered," she said.

Lisette Coly, president of the Eileen J. Garrett Library of Parapsychology, also on Front Street, confirmed that the library was also broken into at the same time, with the alarm panel ripped out. Anastasia Damalas, administrative assistant and Coly's daughter, a fourth generation Garrett, arrived on scene at 2:30 am to meet police. "We were very upset and alarmed, to say the least," Coly said. "The book collection of over 12,000 volumes was unharmed, as was our audio video collection. Desks were rifled and furniture overturned and the alarm system control panel literally torn out of the wall."

She added: "It was so upsetting but could have been worse. Since 2005 in this location, never a problem. Too bad we are not psychic." Coly was on her way to the library to install a new, "costly alarm system that the non-profit can hardly afford."

Patch file photo.