Deputy Inspector Michael Cody outside his office at the 104th precinct where he served as Captain for over a year before his promotion on August 30. Forum Newsgroup photo by Natalia Kozikowska.
After just fifteen months the Commanding Officer at the 104th Precinct serving the neighborhoods of Ridgewood, Maspeth, Middle Village and Glendale, Captain Michael Cody was promoted to Deputy Inspector on August 30.
Armed with the powerful new title, Cody hopes to bring the community and its police officers closer together, all while continuing to keep the bad guys off the streets.
Cody’s journey to Deputy Inspector has been a long one. With a distinguished career that began in July of 1985, he took the first step on the road to seeing his dreams come true as a beat cop in the Bronx. Over the next 25 years, he worked in various capacities within the NYPD including a field trainer for new recruits, an executive officer, the head of Brooklyn’s narcotics division and the commander of a Manhattan gang squad. His first promotion to sergeant came almost ten years after starting on the force while at the 26th Precinct in Manhattan. In 2001, he was again promoted, this time to Lieutenant at the 48th Precinct in the Bronx and finally in June of 2011 to Captain at the 104th Precinct.
As the Commanding Officer of the 104th Precinct, the 47-year-old veteran member of the force was responsible for monitoring and deploying 235 police officers. In his new position, he will perform many of the same duties as well as higher level departmental operations.
His new specialized duties include working closely with analysts, officers and neighboring precincts to determine high risk crime areas in Maspeth, Glendale, Middle Village and Ridgewood. Based on the locations in which the crimes occur, he will then engage in placing the precinct’s manpower in the most strategic locations in order to maximally reduce crime. And in consideration of the 2.8 percent spike in major crimes in the area this year, Cody explains that there has been another increase– a 2 percent increase in arrests, which he calls “a good ratio”.
“It indicates the men and women out here are doing their job. We know where the crimes are being committed,” he said. “It’s not a one man show here. The officers here have responded very well to some of the programs I’ve put in place and I can’t really take care of business without them being on board,” he added.
And in commenting on his new promotion, the Deputy Inspector spoke of his own thoughts as well as those of family and friends excited by the news.
“I’m very happy the police commissioner and the executive staff of the police department
put their trust and confidence in me,” he said. “More is expected of me and I look forward to living up to their expectations and doing a good job for the community. My friends and family are very happy also.”
But it isn’t only the new DI and his friends and family that are pleased with his promotion. Colleagues and the officers in his command are also very supportive of the news. Police Officer Thomas Barberio, a crime prevention officer, describes his boss as a great leader.
Barberio said that most people promoted to the position of Deputy Inspector generally don’t go the extra mile and engage with the community the way Cody does. “He goes above and beyond and opens the communication between the community and the police department.”
“He leads by example. He’s a boss but he’s a cop. He’s always out there,” Barberio said. “Right now he probably got in his truck and he’s going to drive around and look for things. He’ll go out and he’ll do his own surveillance and come back to share it with the bosses. He’s not a behind the desk suit and tie kind of guy.”
By Natalia Kozikowska
