ELLICOTT — What can neighbors do who live next door to a house where alleged illegal activity is happening?

That was a question The Post-Journal asked William Ohnmeiss Jr., Ellicott Police Department chief, after more than a dozen residents attended a Ellicott Town Board meeting Monday to complain about alleged criminal activity at a residence on Frederick Boulevard.

Ohnmeiss said the Ellicott Police Department is aware of the alleged criminal activity taking place at the Frederick Boulevard residence. He said the police department is responding when contacted.

“We are doing everything we can within the law,” he said. “The governor (Andrew Cuomo) passed bail reform and people are getting appearance tickets. Unfortunately this is what you’re going to see. Good neighborhoods going bad. We feel horrible for these neighbors, but we can’t invade people’s rights. As a police department we want to help neighborhoods and these good people, but we can only do so much.”

Ohnmeiss said his advice to the neighbors, and neighbors who live next to any house where alleged illegal activity is happening, is to continue calling the police department.

“My advice would be don’t give up on the police. Continue to call us so we can resolve the issue at the time,” he said.

On Monday, 14 residents attended the Ellicott Town Board meeting while nine of them spoke to board members about the alleged illegal activity that includes drug use and stolen goods that has them concerned for their family’s safety. One resident said the police received 147 calls during the last year about alleged illegal activity taking place at the residence. He said that averages to two and half times a week the police are responding to nuisance activity at the property.

Another person witnessed more than 70 bags of garbage being removed when the owner of the residence was there to cleanup the house. The neighbors said the owner of the property allows his son to live there. They added the son allegedly then rents space at the house to multiple people. The property is in a single-family residential zoned neighborhood in the town of Ellicott.

Patrick McLaughlin, town supervisor, said there’s not much the board can do to help the residents. He said that he will have a discussion with the owner of the house and with Ohnmeiss.

McLaughlin said part of the problem, which is happening across the state, is the new bail reform law that went into effect at the beginning of the year. Under the new law those alleged of committing a crime are given appearance tickets for court instead of being arrested and placed in the Chautauqua County Jail to await trial.

“The criminals know it as well as the police,” McLaughlin said about the new bail reform law.