P-J file photo

DUNKIRK — Dunkirk Police Department knows all too well about a rash of vandalism taking place within the city’s business district. For more than a month, a 16-year-old youth has broken windows, created chaos and disrupted service for a number of merchants and their customers.

David Ortolano, police chief, says the juvenile — who has been nabbed numerous times after the incidents that have occurred on Central Avenue, near Wright Park and on Fourth Street — knows there’s nothing law enforcement can do. That’s why he does it again.

“It’s very frustrating on our part,” Ortolano said. “We’re solving the crime.”

What is keeping the teen on the loose, the chief said, is New York state’s Raise the Age law, which changed when a child can be prosecuted as an adult to 18 in criminal cases that began in 2018. Prior to the legislation, New York was one of two remaining states to hold 16-year-olds criminally responsible.

Ortolano also praised the work of the Department of Probation. But other than answering the calls for the incidents, which normally take place between 2:30 and 3 a.m., the hands of the police are tied.

As for those impacted by the teen, they appreciate the response by the department. After one such incident nearly two weeks ago where damage was done, a business owner who asked not to be named said officers were on the scene within two minutes.

That owner called the vandal “a menace to the business district,” noting an alarm went off once the individual struck. He was tracked down minutes later creating a stir on Fourth Street, the owner said.