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Residents tell Mount Kisco trustees the downtown is ‘under siege’ as public-intoxication incidents rise
Summary
Multiple residents told the Board that repeated public intoxication, harassment and disorderly conduct have made people — including children and women — feel unsafe downtown; an educator said she compiled 66 dispatches for intoxication, harassment or assault between Jan. 31 and March 2, 2026.
Dozens of Mount Kisco residents used the Board’s public-comment period to press elected officials for immediate action on repeated public intoxication, harassment and quality-of-life problems they say are harming families and local businesses.
"I think Mount Kisco is under siege," said Sandra Veco, who works in town and described encounters with intoxicated, aggressive individuals who she said are "defecating and urinating in public" and harassing residents. Theresa Flora read a written complaint from a parent who said a fifth-grade child was "aggressively charged toward" while walking home and demanded "increased police presence during school dismissal hours."
Jennifer Vallejos, a local educator, told the Board she compiled 66 dispatches for intoxication, disorderly conduct, harassment or assault from Jan. 31 to March 2, 2026 and called the situation a crisis: "Three to four dispatches a week is a problem. Three to four dispatches a day is a crisis." Several business owners said employees no longer feel safe walking downtown after dark and that foot traffic and sales have declined.
Residents and frequent walkers urged a mix of responses: stepped-up, community-oriented policing focused on repeat offenders and problem locations; clearer coordination with social-service providers and crisis teams; greater on-the-ground patrols during school dismissal and evening hours; and better communication from Village Hall about actions being taken. Lou Terlizzi and others pressed for consequences for repeat offenders, noting one individual described at the meeting had six open warrants.
Mayor J. Michael Cindrich said he would raise the concerns with the Westchester County Police Department (WCPD). Trustees and staff acknowledged the limits cited by speakers — including court handling of citation-level offenses — but residents asked the Board to provide a clearer plan of steps and timelines.
Why it matters: Residents say the safety and feel of downtown, children's routes to school and small-business viability are at stake. Speakers urged both enforcement and humanitarian approaches, including coordination with mobile crisis teams and nonprofits.
The Board did not vote on a new policing policy at the meeting; speakers asked the Board to return with a specific response and timeline.
