Nighttime Concerns Residents Call for More Police in Silver Creek | News, sports, jobs

SILVER CREEK – Anna Frederickson, a 40-year Silver Creek resident, said her once quiet neighborhood around her Burgess Street home has become anything but in recent months.

Frederickson recently woke up around 3 a.m. to a disturbance in the village. She claims she was told by a neighbor that there had been a fight between teenagers, in which the neighbor allegedly told Frederickson there was a gun involved.

“I don’t care what they have. Don’t disturb this neighborhood at 3 a.m.” Frederickson said.

Frederickson also believes there is a speeding problem on local streets related to the Silver Creek Central School building. She described the freshly paved Robinson Street as “beautiful race track” for drivers to abuse.

Recalling an incident she said she witnessed, Frederickson described how a vehicle jumped the curb and onto the sidewalk on Burgess Street one morning.

“If a child had walked there, they wouldn’t have had a chance to get out of the way.” Frederickson said.

Frederickson has advocated for a strong police presence in the Village of Silver Creek for more than a decade, including a strongly worded letter to the OBSERVER in February 2013 titled: “Police are needed in Silver Creek.”

The village has since eliminated its own police force and opted for an agreement with the city of Hanover to share additional coverage from the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office. A two-year contract through December 31, 2025 will result in a total cost of $1,189,847.47 shared by the Town and Village of Silver Creek.

“I know we will never get our police back, but when we had our police, our officers knew which families in the village were a problem. They knew the parents and the children and knew how to deal with it.” Frederickson said. “…I don’t know what you can do with the Sheriff’s Department. I’m sure they’ll do their best.”

Mayor Jeff Hornburg responded that he has had conversations with Sheriff Jim Quattrone about similar issues in the past. He said he would refer their concerns to the sheriff’s office.

Jim Castiglia of the planning committee also later explained: “We need police presence, that’s clear.”

Frederickson ended her statements by explaining her frustration. “I’m annoyed about it because we always had a nice neighborhood where everyone knew everyone and if you had a problem you could turn to that person. But there is a generation of people where they don’t care what their children do. … It’s just too much.”