Cops: Supe Receives Threat at Home Over Ditch Witch
Police chief says suspect identified; no charges pressed.
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Supervisor Bill Wilkinson received a threatening message at his home in Montauk just as news broke that the Ditch Witch was about to lose its vending spot.
East Hampton Town Police Chief Ed Ecker confirmed on Monday morning that a threatening message had been left on the supervisor's and Pat Wilkinson's answering machine on Wednesday night. "It was all about the Ditch Witch," he said.
Outrage built on Wednesday night and Thursday when it became known that request for proposals for vendors spots at beach-ends were not calculated in favor of the long-time food-truck on the east side of Ditch Plains. The RFP process was since rejected because of a flaw in the analytical system that had been set up.
"It’s a shame that the supervisor and his family have to put up with that type of abuse at home," Ecker said.
Asked to comment, Wilkinson said his wife picked up the message and afterwards, sometime around 10 p.m., he filed a police report as it challenged "the safety and a feeling of security for my family."
He said the suspect who left the message was identified and contacted by police.
"It was important for the individual to know that I could have pressed charges, but I chose not to," Wilkinson said.
"I find it terribly harmful, disturbing and distasteful when it does come into the home," he said. "I have no problem with anybody coming into my office. I have an open-door policy as well as an open-phone policy. I will pick up the phone for anyone at the office and talk with those who are extremely pleased as well as those who are simply displeased."
Ecker said, "I think anybody in public office, we put up with a lot, sometimes during work hours or even after work hours at meetings, but when it comes into the house it’s really regrettable."
The incident report would be released with the rest of the police reports on Monday, according to the police chief.
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East Hampton Town Police Department
131 Wainscott Northwest Rd, Wainscott, NY -
Ditch Plains Beach
Ditch Plains Road, Montauk, NY -
jperrier
10:44 pm on Monday, May 23, 2011
Hey martin, bill probably won't meet with you because it would be a huge waste of his time! You certainly don't come across as reasonable on tv when you speak at public meetings so why should he show you any more respect than you show him?
lifelong amagansett resident
7:30 pm on Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Martin Drew -----Lester, Schneiderman, McGintee and now Wilkinson - who has supported your proposals? My suggestion is you show up at a board meeting with 8 or 10 of those people knocking on your door or members of your organization and present a united front. I can see how Mr. Cohen would be an attractive candidate for you. Cohen is the chairman of the nature preserve committee and nature preserves have the trails for mountain bikes that you have been after for years -- correct? I guess Cohen would support the bikes on the trails that need to be kept cleared anyway - why not with bike wear? Although I live in Gansett and did not oppose the concert I would oppose a Drew-Cohen-Principi deal to convert the Principi property into some kind of bike park. The dust, noise, etc. would be pretty constant. I know some people already are driving ATV's on the property -- are they members of your organization?
Hope Cohen is not making those kind of promises. And by the way thread names are OK as long as the comments are civil, articulate and raises valid points.
High Way Worker
12:50 am on Saturday, June 11, 2011
Actually Principi property mentioned for recreation, senior housing, affordable housing, medical center, etc. maybe it was when you were in Purto Rico working with the government there.
When was the last time you met with a town supervisor? Have you ever met witha town supervisor?
High Way Worker
7:22 pm on Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Just made a point about whether you missed something when you were away. And let me tell you there ARE plenty of town workers who are very tuned into local politics, they are very on top of things or as you said "have politics on our lips". Next time your at a town board meeting on a Thursday night take a look around the room, you may see some town employees, some even taking notes. I may have even been there a couple of years ago at the budget hearing when you called for a hiring freeze, no more town employees I believe was your position.