Capt. Brian Bohannon and Capt. Courtney Nilan

By Michael V. Cusenza

It certainly has been a banner 12 months for the City’s Finest. As of Wednesday, Dec. 27, there had been an eye-popping 286 murders in the five boroughs in 2017 – the lowest number on record.
For perspective, in the early 1990s the NYPD investigated more than 2,000 homicides per year.
Ask any veteran beat cop, seasoned gumshoe, or legendary boss: Success starts at the precinct level.
So The Forum sat down with the commanders of the 102nd and 106th precincts this week to learn more about their 2017 success stories, and the issues they’re looking to address during the first few weeks of 2018.
Though Capt. Courtney Nilan only assumed the reins of the 102 six weeks ago, the borough native is quite familiar with the command – she was its Special Operations lieutenant for two years. Nilan is especially proud of the overall decrease in crime in the precinct – 21 percent compared to 2016; the steepest drop of all Queens South posts. And the two-year difference is even more remarkable: 34 percent.
Nilan points to precision policing, technological advances, and the improvement in cop-community relations as reasons for the crime-fighting achievements in the 102.
“Technology has a lot to do with it; it deters a lot of criminals. Nowadays, you can’t commit a crime without being on 10 different videos, or tracked on your phones,” she noted.
Though the 102 isn’t set to install the department’s wildly successful Neighborhood Policing program until this summer, Nilan credits a strengthening of the unique bond between police and the people they swore to protect and serve with helping to bring down negative numbers.
“It has helped both with crime prevention and solving crimes after they happen,” she added.
As for what’s on her radar for 2018, Nilan said she’s focusing on a small uptick in commercial burglaries in the precinct, especially on Jamaica Avenue, 101st Avenue, and Atlantic Avenue.
Captain Brian Bohannon has skippered the 106th Precinct ship for the past 14 months. For 2017, overall crime is down more than 5 percent; two-year totals have it plummeting nearly 20 percent. He points to technology, the Neighborhood Policing program, which launched in the 106 over the summer, and “accurate and quick dissemination of intelligence” as pillars of his precinct’s success.
“Where crimes occurred, how they occurred – we can get that to our officers quickly, pretty much in real time,” he told The Forum. “And we’re getting a lot of good feedback on Neighborhood Policing. If we get a call about smoke, we address it before it becomes fire. And the people trust that we’re responding to them.”
In the first weeks of 2018, Bohannon said he’s also attacking a commercial burglary issue and some quality of life holdovers.
Overall he’s “extremely happy and confident in the command,” he added, “and looking forward to building on our success.”

By Michael V. Cusenza

Crews last week installed long-delayed security cameras around Forest Park, three years after a prolific sexual predator – who remains at large – terrorized the borough green space.

Fourteen high-tech surveillance cameras owned and operated by the City Police Department were posted in several spots on the perimeter of the 544-acre park, including at the intersection of Forest Parkway and Park Lane South; the Carousel; and Woodhaven Boulevard and Park Lane South.

State Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach) and Assemblyman Mike Miller (D-Woodhaven) secured $250,000 for the equipment in 2013. That same year, detectives released a sketch of the attacker, who they said has struck half a dozen times from March 2011 to August 2013 during daylight hours inside the expansive flagship green space. His last known assault occurred on Aug. 26, 2013, when he used a stun gun to subdue and rape a 69-year-old woman near Myrtle Avenue and Forest Park Road.

The painfully slow wheels of bureaucratic procedure over the past three years only served to heighten the anxiety of park patrons and area residents. Still, many members of the community last week were thrilled at the sight of the new security measures.

“It was terrific finally to see the cameras being installed after years of waiting,” said Alex Blenkinsopp, director of Communications for the Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association. “I had to make sure I wasn’t hallucinating!

“Sometimes patience and persistence are rewarded,” he continued. “That was the case here, and now we’ll have a safer park. Thanks to Assemblyman Miller and Senator Addabbo for funding the cameras. And special thanks to Assemblyman Miller for staying on this for so long.”

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

Queens Borough President Melinda Katz (back row, c.) helped mark National Caribbean-American Heritage Month by hosting a weekly costume design workshop in Borough Hall, where kids crafted their own costumes to wear during the Junior Carnival in September. The final session of the workshop, which was co-sponsored by the West Indian American Day Carnival Association, Inc., was held July 9.

By Forum Staff

Two donors, who wish to remain anonymous, recently presented a $50,000 challenge grant to the Boys & Girls Club of Metro Queens in Richmond Hill, the nonprofit announced this week.

The grant will match – dollar-for-dollar – all donations from new and existing supporters for the rest of the year, up to $50,000. The funds raised will be used to produce educational and recreational afterschool and summer programs, hire and train staff, and maintain the Atlantic Avenue facility.

“We are extremely grateful to these two anonymous donors for their generous investment and confidence in our organization,” said John DeCristoforo, chief executive officer of the BGCMQ. “These individuals recognize that the greatest asset of our community is our youth and we need to provide them with meaningful, positive opportunities so they can learn and grow into responsible adults.”

DeCristoforo added that the grant “could not have come at a better time as we recently experienced a significant loss in funding for our teen program. Since every donation will be matched dollar-for-dollar, no gift is too big or too small to make a meaningful impact in the lives of the children we serve each day.”

The Richmond Hill club, which has been open since 1957, annually serves nearly 1,400 youth between the ages of 5 and 18 from Richmond Hill, South Richmond Hill, Ozone Park, South Ozone Park, Woodhaven, Jamaica, Howard Beach, Kew Gardens, and parts of Brooklyn.

“My hope is that this challenge grant will inspire other businesses and individuals in the community to support the Club and the great work it’s doing for at-risk youth in Queens and surrounding areas,” said one of the anonymous donors. “Places like the BGCMQ need our help because they serve as a beacon of hope in our community and improve the lives of our children.”

According to DeCristoforo, donations can be made online at metroqueens.org; by calling (718) 441- 6050 x 202; or by mail at BGCMQ 110-04 Atlantic Ave., South Richmond Hill, NY 11419.

By Michael V. Cusenza

Mayor Bill de Blasio has appointed Kew Gardens Hills resident David Kirschner to Civil Court.

Prior to his position as a principal court attorney in the Bronx, Judge Kirschner served in the Bronx County District Attorney’s Office for 17 years as an assistant district attorney in the Investigations Bureau, and in the Investigations Division, Rackets Bureau, according to the administration.

“With his wealth of experience as a private practitioner, professor and principal court attorney with the Supreme Court in Bronx County, I am certain that Judge Kirschner will decide the law fairly, honestly and justly for all New Yorkers,” de Blasio said.

Kirschner is an assistant adjunct professor of business law at Queens College and Touro College. He also worked as a private litigation associate with the law firm Speyer & Perlberg, and as a solo practitioner until returning to the Bronx DA’s Office.

A member of the Association of Arbitrators, the Brandeis Association, and the Bronx County Bar Association, Kirschner received his bachelor of science from Florida State University in 1985 and his juris doctorate degree from Hofstra University School of Law in 1989.

De Blasio said that Kirschner will serve as an interim Civil Court judge and sit in Criminal Court.

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

By Forum Staff

Three quick-thinking Queens prosecutors last week saved a distraught man who attempted to take his own life outside of Borough Hall in Kew Gardens, according to their proud boss, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown.

Assistant District Attorney Andrea Mauro walked out of Borough Hall around 1 p.m. last Friday and saw a man in his late 50s-early 60s tying one end of a rope to a tree and the other end around his neck. Mauro, joined by ADAs Jason Trager and Gabriel Mendoza, grabbed the man as the rope tightened.  While Trager untied the rope from the tree, Mendoza untied the other end from the man’s neck.

“The man collapsed on the ground crying, gasping for air,” Trager said. “We are relieved that we were able to get him down from the tree in time. It was very sad and shocking.”

Police took the man to an area hospital for observation and treatment.

“The assistant district attorneys in this office do a tremendous job each day of seeking justice for victims of crimes, but these three prosecutors went above and beyond the call of duty by stepping in to save a man who was obviously distraught and in desperate need,” Brown said. “I am extremely proud of their actions.”

Three quick-thinking Queens prosecutors last week saved a distraught man who attempted to take his own life outside of Borough Hall in Kew Gardens, according to their proud boss, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown.

Assistant District Attorney Andrea Mauro walked out of Borough Hall around 1 p.m. last Friday and saw a man in his late 50s-early 60s tying one end of a rope to a tree and the other end around his neck. Mauro, joined by ADAs Jason Trager and Gabriel Mendoza, grabbed the man as the rope tightened.  While Trager untied the rope from the tree, Mendoza untied the other end from the man’s neck.

“The man collapsed on the ground crying, gasping for air,” Trager said. “We are relieved that we were able to get him down from the tree in time. It was very sad and shocking.”

Police took the man to an area hospital for observation and treatment.

“The assistant district attorneys in this office do a tremendous job each day of seeking justice for victims of crimes, but these three prosecutors went above and beyond the call of duty by stepping in to save a man who was obviously distraught and in desperate need,” Brown said. “I am extremely proud of their actions.”

By Forum Staff

Queens veterans joined elected officials last week in celebrating the grand opening of the Mayor’s Office of Veterans’ Affairs Satellite Office at Borough Hall in Kew Gardens.

The Satellite Office is the first of its kind to be opened by MOVA and is designed to enhance accessibility to the agency’s services without having to travel to the Municipal Building in Lower Manhattan.

Located on the second floor of Borough Hall, the office is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Tuesdays through Thursdays (excluding City holidays). The MOVA Satellite features a Community Outreach Specialist (certified by the State Division of Veterans’ Affairs) to assist veterans in accessing federal, state and city benefits that they are entitled to as a result of their military service. The office can also connect vets with employment and training opportunities, housing and homeless prevention assistance, health and education services and more.

“I am proud to stand with Borough President Katz in cutting the ribbon commemorating the opening of the first Satellite Office of the Mayor’s Office of Veterans’ Affairs,” said MOVA Commissioner Loree Sutton, a retired U.S. Army brigadier general. “Under the leadership of Mayor Bill de Blasio and with the stalwart support of Borough President Katz, we can truly demonstrate our unwavering support and heartfelt gratitude for those Queens residents who have served our country on our behalf. In the convenience of their home borough, veterans and their families can meet our team of outreach specialists to learn more about benefits, resources, and services available for them to fulfill their education and career opportunities, ensure their physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing, and connect homeless veterans with permanent housing and support services.”

Recent increases in the budget for MOVA and the upcoming elevation of MOVA from a mayoral office into a full-fledged city agency helped make the opening of the Satellite Office possible.

“From this day forward, veterans in Queens will have access to every level of government and will be able to speak directly with highly-trained benefits counselors at Borough Hall,” said City Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park), chairman of the Council Committee on Veterans. “I thank my good friend Borough President Melinda Katz and Commissioner Loree Sutton for improving the way we serve those who have served us.”

Ulrich was the prime sponsor of the legislation that will elevate MOVA from a mayoral office into full departmental status as the New York City Department of Veterans’ Services. The change will take effect when the City’s new fiscal year begins on July 1.

By Forum Staff

City Police Department Field Intelligence officers last week discovered copious amounts of marijuana and narcotics, and nearly $20,000 in cash after executing a court-authorized search warrant at a Richmond Hill residence, according to Queens District Attorney Richard Brown.

Last Wednesday’s pre-dawn raid of a Lefferts Boulevard residence also netted four suspects: London Bhagwandass, 23; Christopher Centron, 27; Justin Centron, 21; and Deven Rivera, 22. All live in Richmond Hill, except for Justin Centron, who resides in Kew Gardens.

The four defendants were arraigned last Thursday on a criminal complaint charging each of them with first-, second-, third- and fifth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, first-degree criminal possession of marijuana and second-degree criminally using drug paraphernalia.

They were ordered held without bail, and to return to court today, March 10.

According to the charges, as part of a narcotics investigation, the warrant was carried out at Christopher Centron’s home last Wednesday morning, during which time Rivera jumped and crashed through the front door of the location, Brown said. Bhagwandass and Justin Centron were detained in the living room.

Cops allegedly recovered approximately 12 pounds of marijuana, 9 ounces of psychotropic mushrooms, 14 ounces of cocaine, a half-ounce of crack-cocaine and a quantity of MDMA, and the painkillers Percocet and Tramadol, along with approximately $19,500 in cash and various drug paraphernalia, including empty zip lock bags and empty capsules.

Each suspect faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

“These arrests should serve as a warning to other drug dealers that the law enforcement community will continue to aggressively track down those individuals who traffic in drugs and seek to put them in prison,” Brown said.

Congratulations to 102^nd Precinct Community Affairs Officers Jose Severino (l.) and Edwin Martinez, who were recently honored by Assemblyman Mike Miller (c., D-Woodhaven) with Assembly citations for their work with residents and business owners in Richmond Hill, Kew Gardens, Woodhaven, and Ozone Park.

By Forum Staff

The Queens Parent Advisory Board, chaired by Borough President Melinda Katz, will meet on Thursday, Feb. 25, to discuss “The College Admissions Process and How to Fund Your Child’s College Education.”

“Applying for colleges can be complicated for both students and parents, and higher education has become more and more expensive so we need to make sure parents and students have the information they need to make appropriate decisions about their futures,” Katz said.  “Our next Parent Advisory Board meeting will help clarify the college admissions process for parents, and offer guidance on how their kids can apply for grants, scholarships and other forms of financial aid that can help cover the cost of attending college.”

The Feb. 25 meeting will feature presentations by officials from the State University of New York and the City University of New York about the admissions process and their scholarship, grants and financial aid programs. In addition, in attendance will be representatives from the Foundation Center about available online grants and the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation about loan debt relief.

The free and public meeting will be held from 6-7:30 p.m. and will take place at Borough Hall, 120-55 Queens Blvd., Kew Gardens.

By Michael V. Cusenza

Queens District Attorney Richard Brown announced this week that he has created an Animal Cruelty Prosecutions Unit, which will work closely with the newly formed NYPD Animal Cruelty Investigations Squad, in pursuing allegations of animal cruelty, abuse and neglect in Queens.

The mandate of the Animal Cruelty Prosecutions Unit – the first of its kind in a district attorney’s office in New York City – will be to investigate and prosecute animal cruelty crimes and to educate the public about how to prevent and detect abuse of animals.

In creating the ACPU, Brown also announced that he has appointed veteran prosecutor Nicoletta Caferri as its inaugural chief. Brown described Caferri as a career prosecutor who has been with the Queens DA’s Office since 1992. Most notably, she handled the appeal of People v. Curtis Basile, in which the state Court of Appeals recently affirmed the 2007 animal mistreatment conviction of Basile who showed a complete disregard for the life of a helpless animal by failing to furnish the basic necessities required to maintain the dog’s health. Since then she has been invited to speak at various prosecutorial forums across the country and has been asked to do law enforcement training nationally and to work on amicus curiae briefs for other prosecutors.

Other animal cruelty cases that Caferri has assisted in prosecuting, Brown noted, include that of a Ridgewood resident who pleaded guilty to a felony charge of aggravated cruelty to animals last month for failing to properly care for or feed his dog that was emaciated, severely malnourished and did not have the energy to walk when brought to an animal shelter.  The defendant was sentenced to a conditional discharge, with the conditions including that he be banned from owning an animal for three years and that he be required to register with the New York City Department of Health as an animal abuser.

As in the previous case, Caferri is working with Assistant District Attorney Oscar W. Ruiz, the deputy chief of the District Attorney’s Special Proceedings Bureau, in prosecuting a Jamaica man on aggravated animal cruelty and other charges after he was allegedly observed kicking, punching and choking his pit bull-mix puppy over a six-week period.

“Niki is the ideal candidate to head up the newly created initiative,” Brown said. “She is an accomplished appellate attorney who is extremely passionate about her work and has an extraordinary and unparalleled commitment to upholding the state’s animal cruelty laws and in protecting the interests of victimized animals.”

Sgt. Michael Murphy, commanding officer of the NYPD’s Animal Cruelty Investigation Squad, added that his unit “has an extraordinary working relationship with the Queens District Attorney’s Office in regards to Animal Cruelty Investigations. With the new Animal Cruelty Prosecutions Unit created by District Attorney Brown we are looking forward to an even stronger collaboration to stop animal cruelty.”

The new QDA unit hit the ground running this week. A Jackson Heights man has been charged with aggravated animal cruelty and other offenses after allegedly slamming his girlfriend’s 3-year-old Chihuahua against the floor, killing the animal, during a verbal dispute Sunday afternoon.

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

With Veterans Day – Nov. 11 – on the horizon, Queens communities will once again take the opportunity to honor military service members and cherish the freedoms for which they fought.

Here are just some of the Veterans Day ceremonies taking place in neighborhoods across the World’s Borough.

On Friday, Nov. 6, 11 a.m. to 12 p.m., Queens Borough President Melinda Katz will host the Veterans Day Observance Ceremony in the Veterans Memorial Garden at Borough Hall. This year’s event will feature three special veteran honorees commemorating the 70^th anniversary of the end of World War II.

On Sunday, Nov. 8, at 12 p.m., the Queens Veterans Day Parade Committee will host its annual veterans parade in Middle Village. The festivities kick off at the intersection of Metropolitan Avenue and 80^th Street, and run down Metro to 69^th Street.

The Grand Marshal of this year’s parade will be New York Guard Commander Stephen A. Bucaria, Brigadier General in the New York Guard. The parade is also being held in memory of Private First Class Le Ron A. Wilson, who was killed in 2007 while serving in the U.S. Army in Baghdad, Iraq.

“I greatly appreciate the efforts of the Queens Veterans Day Parade Committee and the respect they show our veterans. An event such as this annual veterans parade is just one small way we can attempt to show our appreciation for the unthinkable sacrifices our military service members have made throughout the years,” said state Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach) the ranking member of the Senate Committee for Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs.

On Tuesday, Nov. 10, 9:30 a.m., Queensborough Community College will host a Remembrance and Reflection Ceremony at the Charles F. Bova Veterans Memorial Grove, located inside the main Bayside campus gate on 56^th Avenue.

By Michael V. Cusenza

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

State Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach) this week announced that he is holding his second annual Senior/50+ Job Fair on Friday, May 15, in Kew Gardens.

The event, sponsored by Addabbo in conjunction with Queens Community House, is free and open to the public, and is being held at the Kew Gardens Community Center at 80-02 Kew Gardens Rd.  Interested job seekers may visit the fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to learn about employment
opportunities, fill out applications, and share their resumes with a variety of employers. More than 20 employers committed to hiring workers 50 years of age and older will be represented. The facility is wheelchair accessible and business attire is suggested.

“Workers in their 50s and older bring a wealth of life and employment experience to the labor force, which is a win-win situation for employers and job seekers alike,” Addabbo said. “Many older New Yorkers lost their jobs and had trouble finding new employment in the recent recession, but now our economy is picking up and the job market is improving. I hope my constituents will take the opportunity to come out to the job fair and see what kinds of positions are now available.”

For further information, contact Frank Fazio in Addabbo’s office at (718) 738-1111.

By Forum Staff

A man was arrested on Tuesday after making a bomb threat at this Kew Gardens Road building. Photo Courtesy of kewgardens.com.

A Flushing man on Tuesday was arrested after threatening to detonate a bomb inside a Kew Gardens building in which the Queens District Attorney, New York State Police and Federal Bureau of Investigation have offices, according to a spokesman for DA Richard Brown.

Scott Sasonkin, 49, was expected to be arraigned on Wednesday night on a criminal complaint charging him with first-degree reckless endangerment, first-, second- and third-degree falsely reporting an incident, first-degree placing a false bomb and making a terroristic threat.

According to the criminal charges, Sasonkin allegedly entered the Kew Gardens Road building around 10 a.m. on Tuesday carrying a package and stated to a member of the DA’s Detective Squad, “I have a bomb and I want to kill everyone in here.” He then allegedly placed the package on the floor, stated that he was a suicide bomber and that “my bomb is in this package, it’s a pipe bomb… “

Sasonkin also allegedly said that he picked the building because it has a lot of law enforcement personnel in it.

The NYPD Bomb Squad inspected the package and determined that it did not contain an explosive device.

Sasonkin was arrested by 102^nd Precinct officers and subsequently taken to an area hospital for a mental evaluation.

By Michael V. Cusenza

South Ozone Park residents continue their efforts to stop the construction of a juvenile detention center in their neighborhood, this time at CB 9’s general meeting on Tuesday. Forum Photo by Michael V. Cusenza.

Nearly a dozen distressed residents of South Ozone Park on Tuesday night turned out at Community Board 9’s general meeting in Kew Gardens to galvanize support for their efforts to halt construction of a juvenile detention center on 127^th Street and to publically confront a member of the board who the residents believe is the owner of the land on which the facility is being built.

The property at 133-23 127^th St. has been leased by the Administration for Children’s Services to house 18 teenaged criminals that have qualified for the state “Close to Home” program, which is designed to keep youthful offenders out of prisons and near the communities in which they live.

While it remains unclear how the group obtained the information, CB 9 Member Patrick Khan said “they’re barking up the wrong tree” because he hasn’t owned the parcel for some time.

“They’re misinformed—I sold it to a corporation about a year or so ago,” Khan noted. “This is public record; they didn’t do their due diligence.”

The South Ozone Park Civic Association West has co-hosted two meetings on the issue, along with City Councilman Ruben Wills (D-Jamaica), that have drawn hundreds of community members who are adamantly opposed to the project.

Some of them reiterated that sentiment on Tuesday.

“It’s for the safety of my kids, the value of my house,” said Privesh Jairal, who lives two blocks from the site. “This is not improving your life, it’s bringing it down. We take this very seriously, and we’re going to do whatever it takes to stop it.”

George DiLieto, who has lived for 30 years on the block on which the center is being constructed, has collected 750 petition signatures by himself.

“This is in the middle of a residential neighborhood,” he lamented.

Asked if he was confident that they’d be able to stop the project, DiLieto said no.

“Because it’s the state,” he reasoned. “It’s the state—they got a lot of pull.”

 By Michael V. Cusenza

The Community Board 9 District Manager Search Committee last Thursday voted to bring in five candidates for interviews.
Forum Photo by Michael V. Cusenza

The Community Board 9 District Manager Search Committee last Thursday evening whittled down the candidate pool to five from 11.

These applicants have advanced to the interview stage: Scott Wolff, Lisa Gomes, James McClelland, Beryl Nyack and Joann Ariola.

In a meeting at Borough Hall, each member of the 12-person collective gathered around a table and reviewed the applications and resumes of all candidates. In a voting system, the applicants who received the most tallies moved on to the next phase, which will take place next Wednesday evening at Borough Hall. The six who were not selected to participate in the second round of the process will be notified by letter or email.

“The main issue is we get the right person for district manager,” Board Member Marie Turley said.

Additionally, the committee voted on the starting salary for the position, arriving at $67,500 per year, with Board Chairman Ralph Gonzalez to inquire with the Borough President’s office and the city regarding the benefits package.

The board, which serves Kew Gardens, Richmond Hill, Woodhaven and Ozone Park, has been searching for candidates since longtime District Manager Mary Ann Carey announced her retirement in August. As of Oct. 1, the position has been vacant. Lisa Gomes has been performing some of the district manager duties, in addition to her regular function as office manager/community associate, since Carey departed.

By Michael V. Cusenza

Police Commissioner Bratton (l.) and Mayor Bill de Blasio have reason to smile these days as the city sees a historic drop in crime.
Photo Courtesy of Rob Bennett/Mayoral Photography Office

Following his landslide election victory a little over year ago, Mayor Bill de Blasio pledged to improve police-community relations across the city, which he believed had been frayed, in part, by an overzealous Bloomberg administration that relied too much on the tactic known as Stop, Question and Frisk. And De Blasio said he knew the perfect man for the job—former NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton.

It seems that that choice has paid large dividends in the administration’s first year.

De Blasio and Bratton on Tuesday in Brooklyn announced the city’s latest crime numbers, most notably in the four-month period from August through November, which saw the lowest number of homicides and overall crime since modern crime statistics began in 1993.

Other highlights include: overall index crime is down 4.4 percent at the end of November; homicides in the city have decreased by 6.8 percent; robbery is down 14.4 percent; and reported rape is down 2.9 percent from already historically low numbers. In the city’s housing developments, overall crime decreased by 5.3 percent and homicides fell by 7.7 percent, compared to last year; criminal possession of marijuana decreased by 61.2 percent as of the new policy launched by the administration last month; and in transit, overall crime decreased by 13.8 percent, and robbery has decreased by 29 percent, compared to this time last year.

“But this administration doesn’t rest on its laurels—we will continue to build on our efforts to strengthen the bond between our police officers and communities they service, working to keep New York the safest big city in the nation,” de Blasio added.

Before launching into more specifics, Bratton thanked de Blasio and the department, adding, “Crime is down and dramatically in many areas—historic lows in many areas. Relationships with the community–certainly we are dealing with some controversial issues this year, but dealing with them successfully and using them as a way of drawing closer to the community rather than drawing apart from it.”

In area precincts—the 102^nd and the 106^th—overall crime is down slightly, compared to this time last year. In the 102^nd, which is composed of Kew Gardens, Richmond Hill, Woodhaven and the northern part of Ozone Park, all major felonies are down significantly compared to this time in 2013, except for grand larceny and car theft, the latter of which is up across the city, as Bratton noted on Tuesday. In the 106^th, which covers south Queens communities, including Howard Beach, Lindenwood and Ozone Park, all major felonies are down compared to this time last year, except for reported rapes, grand larceny and, again, car thefts.

De Blasio was effusive in his praise of Bratton on Tuesday: “This is a man who has done more to bring down crime in more places than anyone who’s walked this earth, but he does it with a keen sense of the way forward being with the community—hand-in-hand with the community. He’s shown it works and it’s going to keep working here.”

By Michael V. Cusenza

Applications for the Community Board 9 district manager vacancy will not be reviewed until after the Nov. 7 deadline.
File Photo

The deadline to apply for Community Board 9’s district manager position is Nov. 7; and as one board member indicated to The Forum, all applications will not be reviewed until after said deadline has passed.

The board, which serves Kew Gardens, Richmond Hill, Woodhaven and Ozone Park, has been searching for candidates since longtime District Manager Mary Ann Carey announced her retirement in August. As of Oct. 1, the position has been vacant.

According to a CB 9 spokesman, the district manager will work under the direction of the board, will monitor and evaluate the delivery of municipal services and will be actively involved in coordinating the delivery of those services. He or she will receive and process complaints from residents. The district manager will also provide reports to the board on meetings he or she attends, and on complaints received from residents. The district manager will also supervise and administer the office and staff of the board.

CB9’s District Manager Search Committee approved a set of preferred skills and requirements. Competitive candidates will have supervisory, administrative and complaint-resolution experience. Knowledge of New York City government and zoning codes is helpful. Candidates must possess excellent writing, oral communication and public speaking skills, and must be computer literate. It is a full-time position requiring both daytime and evening hours.

To apply, candidates must mail their resume, with registered return receipt, to Community Board 9 – Application Submission 120-55 Queens Blvd., Suite 310-A Kew Gardens, NY 11424. No other form of application submission will be accepted.

By Michael V. Cusenza

State Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr., a Democrat, has represented District 15 since 2009. Photo by Michael V. Cusenza

With the midterm elections less than a week away, state Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach) is hoping that he can turn his three-term run in the 15^th District into an even four.

Addabbo, 50, who served seven years on the City Council before being elected to the Senate in 2008, has the decided advantage of name recognition over his relatively unknown GOP challenger, Rego Park resident Michael Conigliaro, who was urged to run against Addabbo by City Councilman Eric Ulrich’s (R-Ozone Park) chief of staff.

Conigliaro noted recently at a public forum that if he hadn’t decided to run against Addabbo, then Addabbo would have been running unopposed; a concept that Conigliaro said ran counter to his belief that elections should always have an incumbent and a challenger.

During his three terms in office, Addabbo said he has consistently “been there” for his constituents when it comes to working towards reducing income taxes for the middle class, providing property-tax rebates for homeowners and renters, and passing tax incentives for small businesses to expand their workforce by hiring veterans, seniors and youth.

Addabbo also talked about helping residents and businesses during some of the borough’s darkest days—the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy.

“I was there for my constituents immediately after Superstorm Sandy, and I have continually advocated for the storm victims, [and] worked with FEMA, Rapid Repair and Build It Back to ensure residents get the services they need,” said Addabbo, who resides in Tudor Village in Ozone Park with his wife and two daughters. “That is something that will never change—I will always fight for Sandy victims until we are 100 percent whole.”

While Addabbo and his opponent may not see eye to eye on many issues, they do have some positions in common. For example, both the senator and Conigliaro, who manages a law office in Floral Park, agree that the state’s Common Core curriculum is in need of revamping; and both men also oppose the controversial homeless shelter proposed for Cooper Avenue in Glendale.

But when it comes to gay marriage, the two men are not on the same page. Conigliaro has said he opposes marriage equality, while Addabbo has most recently, in 2011, voted for same-sex marriage legislation, despite initially voting against similar legislation in 2009.

“I was there for my constituents during the state budget that cut wasteful spending and made our government more efficient and responsive to the people,” Addabbo added.

As far as other contentious issues, such as hydrofracking, the senator has said that “I have stood against the process of hydraulic fracturing since it was brought to my attention in 2009, and remain opposed to this practice for the detrimental effects are great and numerous in such states as Pennsylvania, which had adopted hydraulic fracturing operations several years prior.”

To that end, Addabbo cosponsored legislation to suspend fracking for the extraction of natural gas or oil, and prohibited the issuance of new permits for the drilling of a well utilizing the practice of fracking.

Additionally, the senator has said he has helped his constituents in working towards improved public transportation, including advocating for a permanent Rockaway ferry and working to find a solution to traffic problems on Woodhaven and Cross Bay boulevards.

Addabbo noted that he has shown his willingness to get involved in issues great and small across the 15^th District, which includes—in whole or in part—Broad Channel, Elmhurst, Forest Hills, Glendale, Hamilton Beach, Howard Beach, Kew Gardens, Kew Gardens Hills, Maspeth, Middle Village, Ozone Park, Rego Park, Richmond Hill, Ridgewood, South Ozone Park, Woodhaven, Woodside and the Rockaways. For example, next month, he is bringing the Mobile Care Clinic to several locations in the district to provide women with low-cost and free mammograms and breast exams.

“With the support of my district, it would be a continued honor to serve them as a full time senator and be there whenever needed,” Addabbo said.

By Alan Krawitz