21 Vehicles Damaged in Binghamton Parking Garage

A vandalism spree in a city-owned parking ramp in downtown Binghamton left more than 20 cars without side-view mirrors. The windshield to one vehicle was smashed.

The damage was discovered Friday morning. Mayor Richard David said it was unclear when the criminal activity occurred or how many people were involved.

The total cost of repairing the damage will be several thousand dollars, although the mayor said no official estimate was yet available.

Speaking on WNBF Radio's Binghamton Now program, David said many of the cars damaged were vehicles owned by the city or the state. Some vehicles used by businesses and cars owned by Binghamton University students also were damaged.

Mirrors on both the driver's side and the passenger's side of several vehicles were smashed or cut off. It was not clear what the vandals used to cause the damage.

Notes were placed on several vehicles advising owners to contact police about the vandalism.

The vehicles were parked on the first level below the street. Although cameras are posted near the exit gates of the parking garage, no other video surveillance systems are in place.

The mayor has previously discussed vandalism at the facility. He said those incidents primarily involved damage to a ticket-dispensing machine and gates at the entrance and exits.

David said the city will consider installing more cameras at the garage and possibly having an employee at the facility overnight to reduce the likelihood of criminal conduct.

For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter.