Forum Photo by Michael V. Cusenza
Captain Michael Edmonds, executive officer of the 106th Precinct, takes questions from concerned residents at the Howard Beach-Lindenwood Civic meeting on Tuesday.
By Michael V. Cusenza
The City Police and Fire departments figured heavily into the community conversation Tuesday evening as public safety took center stage at the Howard Beach-Lindenwood Civic meeting at St. Helen Catholic Academy.
“The precinct has been busy, but Sector A has been pretty good,” said 106th Precinct Sector Adam (Howard Beach and Lindenwood) Neighborhood Coordination Officer Pete Paese, noting that overall crime is down in the command.
However, Paese pointed to car crimes—specifically thefts of property from vehicles—as the one offense that continues to wreak havoc in most of the sectors of the 106.
“Lock your doors, please,” Paese implored all in attendance. “That’s the most important thing right now.”
Captain Michael Edmonds, the precinct’s executive officer, noted that mailbox “fishing” has reared its ugly head in the command with four recently reported cases: 151st Avenue and 84th Street (two incidents); 160th Avenue and Cross Bay Boulevard; and Linden Boulevard and 95th Avenue.
“Fishing” is a federal crime in which envelopes containing checks and sensitive documents are “fished out” of mailboxes by resourceful crooks using a makeshift rod: an adhesive attached to the end of a string or rope.
“I know [U.S. Postal Service] is working on getting new mailboxes, and the Postal Police is involved,” Edmonds said.
The captain also reported that the number of speeding tickets recently issued to reckless motorists along Cross Bay Boulevard is up about 80 percent.
“That’s a significant improvement on the speeding,” Edmonds added.
The FDNY Community Outreach Team kicked off the civic meeting with wise words about smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and maintaining the potentially lifesaving devices, including replacing batteries and purchasing new units every seven years.
Civic President Joann Ariola said residents appreciate instructions from the Bravest.
“It’s a message that we can’t hear too many times,” she noted.
