Our Greenwich

This week, while going to Chase Bank on the corner of Lockwood Lane and the Post Road in Riverside, there appeared a large billowing cloud of dark brown dirt blowing onto the sidewalk and street, covering both pedestrians and cars. Accompanying the cloud of dirt was the roar of several leaf blowers.  This is a daily, any-time-of day occurrence in Greenwich every Spring, Summer, and Autumn.

 I went inside Chase bank and reported it to the Manager who was talking with a teller. They shrugged their shoulders and looked out their window and did nothing.

  Caroline Calderone Baisley was a major reason the summer leaf blower ban didn’t pass over a decade ago and it looks like she’s a major player now.  One wonders what her stake is in always upping the ante, making it more and more difficult to bring common sense and a healthy environment to Greenwich.

The present ban has never been enforced by the majority of landscapers nor enforced with stoppage and fines by the police over the years. The landscaper workers give you the middle finger if you say anything to them and the police consider the whistle-blower who calls them to be a nuisance and think it is beneath their dignity to try to control the landscaping lawbreakers since it is a constant, never-ending job trying to enforce.

 Leaf blowers are a “convenience” only to the workers.  Let them prove they will lose money during the summer months if they don’t use them. The noisy machines are used for cleaning the dirt and garbage from the sidewalks and blowing it all onto the people walking in the streets and into ongoing traffic. I have even seen leaf blowers being used to remove snow in the Winter. Talk about “weapons of mass destruction”……….don’t look any further than the streets of “our town”

June 23, 2011; 4:30 p.m. — First Selectman and Police Commissioner Peter J. Tesei named Captain James Heavey as the new Deputy Chief of the Greenwich Police Department at a Press Conference at Town Hall.  This makes Heavey the heir-apparent to succeed Cheif David Ridberg when he retires in March 2012.

Here are the “vitals” on James Heavey.

Home address: Greenwich
Date of birth: December 25, 1960
Place of birth: Greenwich
Son of Mr. and Mrs. Bait Heavey of Greenwich
Marital status: Married to the former Kia Tsakos
Two Children — Anna, age 11, and Jamie, age 9
Education: Attended Northeastern University, Boston, Mass. and has a BS in Criminal Justice Administration. Masters in Public Administration at Bellevue University
Military: For over 20 years served as Military Police Officer in the U.S. Army Reserve. Former Commander 812th Military Police Company and Headquarters Company 3rd Bdc 98th Division. Served as Battalion Executive Officer for 2nd Military Police Bn, 98th Division. Desert Storm Veteran.

Police experience:
1981 Appointed Communication Operator
1981 Special Police Officer
1986 Assigned to Patrol Division
GPD Emergency Medical Services — Instructor Coordinator 1990 to present
GPD Police Explorer Advisor 1987-1991
1999 Promoted to Sergeant, Patrol Division
2003 Promoted to Lieutenant
2010 Promoted to Captain
Police training:
Connecticut State Municipal Police Academy
Advanced FBI Instructor Development Course
IPTM: Accident Investigation, DWI and Managing the Patrol Function
Critical Incident Stress Debriefing Peer Counselor
Markle School (1988)
POST First Line Supervision
FBI-LEEDA Command School

Awards:
Police Commendation Award (six)
Emergency Medical Award (eleven)
American Red Cross Extraordinary Personal Action (two)
GEMS Clinical Excellence Award (four)
Meritorious Unit Citations (three)
Affiliations:
Executive Board Member, Greenwich Council Boy Scouts of America
Advisory Board Member, Greenwich Chapter American Red Cross
Cubmaster Pack 35 (Eagle Scout)
Chief, Glenville Volunteer Fire Company
Connecticut Critical Incident Stress Management Team member

Fraud

Phony Veteran Scam

GPD Case # 11-101271

On June 16, 2011 members of the Greenwich Police Department Detective Division executed an arrest warrant for the below listed subject for swindling money while posing as a Veteran in need.

Jesus M.Garcia

DOB 10/10/1990

19-12 Armstrong Court

Greenwich, CT

and

484 Van Wyck Lake Road

Hopewell Junction, NY

The arrest warrant charges Garcia with the following crimes:

False Representation of Armed Force Uniform 53-378 Misd.

Fraudulent Use of Military Insignia 53-377 (4cts) Infrac.

Larceny 5^th 53a-125a Felony

Larceny 6^th 53a-125b(2cts) Misd

For over a year, Garcia has been falsely stating that he was an Army Ranger who was combat wounded after serving four tours in Afghanistan deceiving his friends, family, and the public. Military officials confirmed that at no time had Jesus M. Garcia been a member of the US Army. Garcia had split his living arrangements between a home in New York and a home in Greenwich, CT. During the time he was at one residence he would explain his absence from the other as military related which was patently untrue. On May 27^th, 2011, Garcia met with Greenwich Police Captain James Heavey in anticipation of Garcia speaking at a Memorial Day ceremony. During conversations with Captain Heavey, it quickly became apparent that Garcia was a fraud and provided an investigating officer with a false name and date of birth. Garcia was arrested that day for Interfering with an Officer 53a-167a.

The Greenwich Police Department Detective Division continued to investigate Garcia and found two financial victims of his fraud and other instances that he posed publicly in uniform purporting to be a Soldier.

Garcia was released after posting a $2,500.00 bond and is scheduled to appear in Stamford Superior Court on June 24, 2011