Brockport reinstitutes community service program

Village of Brockport residents will soon see orange reflective vested individuals shoveling hydrants, shoveling sidewalks or any other number of community service projects. Village trustees unanimously agreed to reinstitute a community service program in the village for offenders who have committed crimes here.

David Wagenhauser, a member of the village's zoning board, has spearheaded the program.

"There used to be a community service program in the village and I thought it was a wonderful thing," he said. "There are people every month who commit crimes in Brockport and are sent out of the area for community service and I think they should be brought back here, to benefit the village."

The individuals sentenced to community service will be supervised by volunteers, including Brockport's Chief of Police Dan Varrenti.

"This isn't a chain gang or a public stockade," Wagenhauser said. "But community service could have some deterrent effect and frankly the purpose is to repay those people who've had their quality of life affected and hopefully the violators will become more connected with the village and their actions."

Mayor Josephine Matela commended Wagenhauser for taking the initiative to get this program up and running.

"A community service program is worthwhile not only to the village but to those who will be participating. It's very easy to pay a fine and walk away but to have to serve out a community sentence might become a deterrent to future activities."

The logistics of the program have been in the works for the past three months, Varrenti said. He indicated that service projects could range from sweeping streets, to shoveling sidewalks, cleaning parks and canal bank clean-up. In the case of inclement weather, he said there are plenty of projects that can be undertaken indoors.

"A community service program serves a multitude of purposes," he said. "It allows people who have committed minor violations to back the society they wronged."

The program, Varrenti said, will cost the taxpayer "zero" dollars as he has sought donations from local businesses for shovels, rakes and brooms. There is a slight cost for the purchase of the reflective vests but Varrenti said having the individual wear them makes sense as the vest will identify the violators to the community and will also allow them to be visible to vehicle traffic.

The community service program, which kicks off in March, will be the first and third Saturdays of the month. Individuals will work from 7 a.m. to noon until their sentence has been fulfilled. At this point, only those individuals sentenced by Judge Carl Coapman of the Town of Sweden will be participating.

Individuals interested in participating as a supervisor or anyone with ideas on community service projects are asked to contact the police department at 637-1020.