(Will Dendis)
Former Village of Saugerties Police Chief Bill Kimble’s “Cruisin’ Around Saugerties” streetscape car, “The Prowler,” was vandalized last week, but it has been restored and set up in a new spot.
The vandalism was apparently an attempt to steal the model, Kimble said, as the bolts holding it to the stand had been removed. However, the car, like all the Cruisin’ Around Saugerties models, was chained to its stand and removing the bolts would not dislodge it.
Kimble thanked artist Z. Willie Neumann, who designed and built the stands, for including the chain in his design. He also praised the village’s Department of Public Works employees for restoring the bolts and remounting the vehicle.
Rather than restore the car to its original spot near the intersection of Main and Partition, the car was set up further down Main St. in front of the Reformed Church.
The car would have been awkward to move, but not very difficult. “They weigh about 30 pounds,” he said. “I didn’t want to make a big deal out of this. It’s up and running now,” Kimble said.
Two previous incidents involving only minor damage were not reported, but this one was too big to ignore.
Under normal circumstances, the vandalism would have been caught on camera, but with construction on Main Street, the camera was moved and did not pick up the vandalism.
“It’s a shame. We’re not in it for the money, it’s a charity thing,” Kimble said.
One car on Main Street that is missing in action is “Black Dragon,” created by Cherie Lee. The dragon car has been replaced by a plaque with a picture of the vehicle and a plea to the public and the person who damaged the car to “please be more careful.”
“Suffering from broken wings and tail it is now in Dragon Hospital for surgery,” the plaque reads. And while Lee is suffering from her own medical problems, she promises that “it will be back.”
Police Chief Joseph Sinagra said several of the cars had been slightly damaged but none had been damaged seriously. Sometimes on a Friday or Saturday night, when people have been drinking, there has been some damage such as the breakage on the “Black Dragon,” but it appeared to be accidental.
He noted that the damage to Kimble’s police car consisted almost entirely in the removal attempt, and the only damage to the car itself was puncturing of the rubber bulb on the horn.
“The cars are positioned within the range of security cameras,” Sinagra said. “Vandals or thieves can be observed and caught.”
On Wednesday, June 17 police arrested a 14-year-old male on two counts of criminal mischief in the fourth degree, after receiving complaints of damage sustained to two pedal cars located on Market St. — “Beach Bucket” and “Low Rider.”