Village, SCPD Working Together to Catch 9/11 Memorial Vandals

The Village of Lindenhurst and Suffolk County First Precinct are determined to find the person or persons responsible for the vandalism of the 9/11 canine memorial on May 27.

That’s according to Mayor Tom Brennan at the most recent . Brennan told Lindenhurst Patch he’s received calls from several officers with expressions of disgust at what happened and determination to resolve the criminal mischief case.

“The police are very upset, and they’re looking for the ones who did this,” Brennan said.

The SCPD is asking anyone with information to call the First Squad at 631-854-8152 or Crime Stoppers at 800-220-TIPS.

Deputy Mayor Kevin McCaffrey also assured that the is looking into an increased police presence, and is working on it with the First Precinct.

In addition, the reward the village is offering for information leading to an arrest in this case has increased from the initial $500 to approximately $2,500, now that a couple of people have come forward with offers to add to it, Mayor Brennan said.

He’s been buoyed by the generosity of residents who’ve come forward to offer help, monetary and otherwise, to replace the statue.

“Several people have come forward to help with the process – some offering to replace it outright, others offering or wanting to contribute a donation to help replace it,” Brennan told Patch, adding, “There seems to be more good than ‘crumminess’ in this world.”

The 300-pound, cement memorial statue that stood in the was knocked to the ground at about 3 a.m. on May 27. It was found lying on its side, with its feet cracked and the rebar broken, by a groundskeeper later that morning. A neighbor’s garbage pail that appeared to have been used to scale the locked fencing around the garden was found floating in the nearby Village Park pond.

The statue not only honored Hansen – the patrol, search and rescue, and cadaver dog who served with former Chief and former NYPD Canine Officer Steve Smaldon at Ground Zero and during Hurricanes Katrina and Rita – but also service dogs everywhere.

Smaldon originally purchased and placed Hansen’s statue in the garden with the consent of the Lindenhurst Remembers committee and the village three years ago.

in time for the this September.

The village, said Brennan, has several ways to go – cement, brass or another material – based on feedback from the committee, , and other residents.

However, it’ll be discussed, said the mayor, and the village and the committee will let Smaldon – who’s also been receiving calls since May 27 with offers to help replace the statue – take the lead, according to Doug Madlon, and co-chair of the Lindenhurst Remembers committee.