After going on a brief hiatus, the 104th Precinct Community Council held its first official meeting last Wednesday, where Deputy Inspector Michael Cody said the council was being restructured as it seeks a new president and board members.
Michael Hetzer formerly served as president of the 104th Precinct Community Council, but stepped down in May after being arrested on grand larceny charges. After that, the council disbanded for a time as members figured out how to reform the committee.
While not much was accomplished during Wednesday’s meeting, community leaders and community affairs officers got the ball rolling. They discussed forming an election committee to nominate candidates. Their main goal is to represent neighborhoods from all over the 104th Precinct.
“The main thing is to work together to form a community partnership,” Cody said at the meeting.
According to the bylaws, to serve on the committee a person must be 18 years of age or older, reside in the community and/or work in the community. Elected officials and full-time NYPD employees can not serve on the council.
One point of contention during the meeting was a rule stipulating that a person can only be nominated for a board position after attending three consecutive meetings. Because this was the first meeting, and it is held on a monthly basis, no one could technically run for another three months. But that exact bylaw is currently being reviewed and could be changed, according to a community affairs supervisor present at the meeting.
People interested in joining the 104th Precinct Community Council should contact Police Officer Thomas Bell at (718) 386-2431.
By Ryan Lavis
