Photo Courtesy of NYC Campaign Finance Board

By Michael V. Cusenza

Queens County Republican Party Chairwoman Joann Ariola made it official this week: she’s running for the City Council District 32 seat.

Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park) currently represents the interests of residents of District 32, which includes Howard Beach, Ozone Park, Richmond Hill, Broad Channel, Woodhaven, and the Rockaways; he’s set to be term-limited out of the seat he has held since 2009.

Professionally, Ariola is director of Intergovernmental Affairs for the MediSys Health Network. Off the clock, she is president of the Howard Beach Lindenwood Civic, and a member of both the 106th Precinct Community Council and Community Board 10.

Last year, Ariola ran for Queens Borough President on a platform of public safety/supporting law enforcement; putting an end to community jails and shelters; and reforming property tax laws.

“I’m a Queens resident, wife, mother, and grandmother who works in healthcare. I’m not a career politician,” Ariola said. “Like you, I’m deeply concerned about the future of our city and our borough. I will stand up to the radical career politicians and their pro-crime agenda. I will support the NYPD and keep dangerous criminal behind bars where they belong. I will fight for better transportation and roads as well as oppose toll increases and congestion pricing, because it’s already too hard for us to get to work. I will advocate for all our small business and help them recover. I will fight for quality schools and choice in education. Queens is the most wonderful place and it’s worth fighting for. Our families deserve a safe, clean city.”

Photo Courtesy of the Cabán Campaign

By Michael V. Cusenza

It has been characterized as one of the most important political contests in a generation—complete with Election Day drama that left many veteran pundits and pols stunned.

In what is shaping up to be a striking upset, public defender Tiffany Cabán leads Borough President Melinda Katz in the Democratic Primary for district attorney. As of Wednesday afternoon, with counts at 99 percent of precincts completed, Cabán topped Katz by 1,090 tallies. The Richmond Hill native garnered 33,814 votes (39.57 percent), while Forest Hills’ Katz compiled 32,724 votes (38.30 percent).

More than 85,000 votes have been counted so far, with roughly 3,400 absentee ballots remaining to be calculated.

Still, Cabán, 31, declared victory Tuesday night in Woodside.

“We won the District Attorney’s Office!” she beamed to her elated supporters.

However, Katz, 53, and her allies would not concede.

“I want everyone to know we are doing a recount,” she asserted at her reception in Forest Hills.

“This thing ain’t over folks,” Queens Democratic Party Chairman Greg Meeks added. “Every vote will be counted.”

The political veteran Katz trails Cabán by 1,090 votes.
Photo Courtesy of the Office of the Borough President

A crowded six-candidate race has ultimately come down to two starkly different counselors. Katz is a career elected official, with her legal experience coming in the private sector. She has held seats in the Assembly, City Council, and has been borough president since 2014. As for her platform, Katz has said that preventing crime and stopping people from becoming victims in the first place will always be the better solution. To that end, she has promised arrest, bail and sentencing reforms; ending marijuana prosecution and arrests; and to establish a Conviction Integrity Unit to examine cases and make recommendations for exoneration.

Cabán has been a public defender, “working for people who did not have resources to defend themselves against the brutal system of mass incarceration,” since graduating from New York Law School.

“I am running to transform the Queens District Attorney’s Office after years of witnessing its abuses on the front lines,” she said upon entering the fray.

Cabán garnered headlines, and ultimately the endorsements of The New York Times, U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-Queens and Bronx), and U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), by running on a platform to end Broken Windows prosecuting; decriminalize sex work and recreational use of marijuana; and work with safe injection facilities to help reduce overdose deaths.

According to the City Board of Elections, the 3,400 absentee ballots can’t be counted until July 3.

Councilman Eric Ulrich this week announced his intention to run in the special election for Public Advocate.

By Michael V. Cusenza

After weeks of speculation, City Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park) announced on Monday that he is running for Public Advocate in the upcoming special election for the citywide post that Tish James will vacate on Jan. 1 when she is sworn in as State attorney general.

Ulrich, 33, made it official with a 70-second YouTube video filmed in his native Ozone Park.

“Now, more than ever, New Yorkers are looking for someone who’s willing to stand up to Mayor de Blasio and his so-called progressive agenda,” Ulrich said.

For years, the councilman, who has represented South Queens on the council since 2009, has been quite vocal about his disdain for de Blasio and his politics, often relishing his role as the wily fly in Hizzoner’s liberal liniment.

“If you ask the mayor who on the City Council annoys him the most,” Ulrich said at a 2017 Howard Beach Lindenwood Civic meeting, “he’ll tell you it’s me.”

The YouTube clip presents more of that anti-de Blasio bravado. Ulrich uses the platform to make his case as the best man to bring checks and balances back to Gotham politics.

“I’m running for Public Advocate because I believe that we as a city deserve better, and because I want to give a voice to the majority of New Yorkers who this mayor continues to ignore,” Ulrich said. “Time and time again, this mayor has let us down, or he sold out the people of this city in exchange for a campaign contribution or a political favor. It’s no secret that it’s the special-interest groups and the lobbyists that are calling the shots at City Hall. It must end. And it can end.”

Ulrich enters an already crowded fray. On Wednesday, Gotham Gazette estimated that there are “roughly two-dozen candidates who have officially declared or indicated they are exploring a run in the expected February special election for New York City Public Advocate.”

Martinez and Velazquez last week allegedly tried to steal mail from this box on Lefferts Boulevard in Richmond Hill.

By Michael V. Cusenza

Two men have been charged with “fishing” mail out of blue U.S. Postal Service collection boxes in Richmond Hill and Forest Hills in October and November, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown announced on Friday.

Alvaro Martinez, 28, of Manhattan, and Luis Velazquez, 22, of the Bronx, were arraigned Thursday night on three complaints charging them with third-degree burglary, first-degree criminal tampering, third-degree criminal possession of stolen property, first-degree identity theft, and possession of burglar’s tools. Bail for Martinez was set at $25,000; Velazquez’s bail was set at $13,000. As of Wednesday afternoon, neither had posted bail, according to City Department of Correction records.

“Mailbox fishing” is a federal crime in which envelopes containing checks and sensitive documents are “fished out” of curbside mailboxes by crooks using a makeshift rod: an adhesive slathered all over a weighted, 16 ounce-20 ounce bottle attached to the end of a string or rope.

According to the charging documents, around 4:35 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 29, Velazquez was seen on surveillance footage standing in front of a USPS mailbox at 64th Avenue and 108th Street, and a second box roughly a block away, in Forest Hills. The video allegedly shows Velazquez inserting an object into the mailboxes and pulling it out again along with pieces of mail.

According to the complaints, shortly after 4 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 17, Martinez was observed on surveillance video standing in front of a blue mailbox at 62nd Drive and 108th Street, also in Forest Hills. Martinez allegedly could be seen on camera placing something inside the mailbox and then retrieving that item along with mail attached to it, the complaints noted.

And on Wednesday, Nov. 29, Martinez and Velazquez were seen around 3:50 a.m. at the intersection of Lefferts Boulevard and Jamaica Avenue in Richmond Hill, according to the charges. Martinez was allegedly observed with his hands near the opening slot of a mailbox and Velazquez was leaning on the box. As a detective approached, both men moved away from the box, but a shoestring was left dangling from the slot. A member of the U.S. Postal Police opened the box and found the shoestring attached to a juice bottle that was covered with glue. Velazquez allegedly admitted that a nearby vehicle belonged to him and inside that car police recovered dozens of pieces of both unopened and opened mail along with mouse and rat glue traps. The complaints noted that at least one envelope recovered contained a check for $4,000.

Mailbox fishing has hit Gotham hard in recent years—especially Queens. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service told The Forum on Wednesday that the agency has already replaced approximately 40 percent of the old collection boxes in Queens with new, virtually “fishing-proof” ones.

“The plan has always been to replace all of these boxes; it’s the most prudent approach,” USPIS Public Information Officer Donna Harris said. “We know it works.”

Indeed, since all of the old collection boxes were replaced in the 104th Precinct, USPIS has not recorded a single mailbox fishing complaint in that part of Queens, Harris noted.

“We’ve done a lot, but we’ve still got a ways to go,” the spokeswoman added.

Some positive and negative changes are on the way to Select Bus Service lanes along Cross Bay Boulevard.

By Michael V. Cusenza

The Saturday “rush hour” limitations on parking in curbside Select Bus Service lanes along Cross Bay Boulevard south of Liberty Avenue have been lifted, according to area elected officials.
State Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach) and Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato (D-Howard Beach), who have been in discussions with the City Department of Transportation for months to amend the active hours, made the announcement on Thursday in front of C-Town Supermarket on Cross Bay Boulevard and Sutter Avenue.
“When I first saw that the curbside SBS lanes would be in effect on Saturdays, I knew that had to be changed. There is no rush hour on Saturday, so I felt that day should be given back to the drivers, allowing them to park and access the local businesses,” Addabbo said. “I am glad to see that DOT heard the frustrations and followed through on their promise to continue to look at the SBS route after it was implemented to see how it affected the residents and business owners.”
When the new Q52/Q53 Woodhaven-Cross Bay Corridor bus service began in November, curbside SBS lanes were active during the morning and afternoon rush hours, from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m., and from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Saturday, frustrating area residents and business owners who lamented the loss of valuable parking spots.
Pheffer Amato praised DOT for the “common sense” move.
“Our local businesses are the heart and soul of South Queens, it is great to see the Department of Transportation listen and work with our community to ensure residents can have the ability to access their local businesses and facilities,” she said.
Addabbo called the Saturday change a big win for area entrepreneurs. Since November, Addabbo, Pheffer, City Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park), and Assemblyman Mike Miller (D-Woodhaven) have been inundated with business-constituent concerns regarding the negative impact of the City’s latest SBS venture.
“While it is important to expand bus service to neighborhoods like the Rockaways, where transportation options are limited – it is crucial the expansion does not come at the expense of residents and local business owners,” Ulrich said.
“Many businesses were negatively affected by the SBS lanes,” Addabbo added. “This change is a step in the right direction to make the roads accessible for everyone and I appreciate DOT’s willingness to work with the local electeds and the community.”
In other SBS news, on Monday DOT announced that, beginning Feb. 20, it will be issuing bus lane camera violations along the Cross Bay route.
If you drive, park, or stand in a bus lane during hours of operation you face fines ranging from $115 to $150, DOT noted.
Each corridor has signage indicating the hours that the bus lanes are operable, and that the lanes are camera enforced. The department indicated that it issues warnings to motorists for at least 60 days prior, per state law, when the cameras are first operated to ensure that drivers are informed about the program. Since violations are issued against the vehicle, not the driver, points are not deducted from motorists’ licenses.

Photo Courtesy of Facebook

By Michael V. Cusenza

The City recorded its first homicide of the new year in Richmond Hill on Monday after a troubled husband stabbed his wife to death in their 103rd Avenue home and fled to nearby Forest Park where he hanged himself from a tree limb, according to police and published reports.

Investigators were called to the Woodhaven scene around 11:30 a.m. after a jogger discovered Vinny Loknath’s body in the massive borough green space near Park Lane South.

“He did it in a location where he wanted to be found,” a police source told The Forum. “It was visible.”

Cops found Loknath’s wife, Stacy Singh, 26, around 2 p.m. in their home lying face-down with a knife near her body. She had been stabbed in the back multiple times.

According to the New York Daily News, Loknath, 46, has a long history of domestic violence, and allegedly liked to drink and dabbled in cocaine.

“The cops are always there,” a neighbor said. “They were always having big fights. But she still came back to him.”

The couple had a young son and daughter.

This is the second consecutive year that the 106th Precinct has hosted NYC’s first murder. Last January, Ricky Kalisaran, 31, was shot and killed in South Richmond Hill during an attempted armed robbery that also left his younger brother with a pair of gunshot wounds.

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

A Richmond Hill woman has been charged with murder in the strangulation death of her 9-year-old stepdaughter, whose naked body was discovered by a neighbor last Friday in a bathtub inside the family’s 112^th Street home, according to Queens District Attorney Richard Brown and police.

Shamdai Arjun, 55, was arraigned on Sunday on a single charge of second-degree murder. She was remanded without bail, and faces up to 25 years to life in prison, if convicted.

According to the charges, last Friday, at approximately 5:30 p.m., a witness saw Arjun leaving the Richmond Hill residence, along with her ex-husband, Raymond Narayan, and her two small grandchildren. The witness inquired about Ashdeep Kaur, 9, and Arjun allegedly mentioned that the child was in the bathroom doing her hair, that she was going to her uncle’s house with her father, and that her father would be home soon to get her.

The witness, who observed that the bathroom light had been on since 11 a.m., told detectives that “upon knocking on [the bathroom] door she received no response.” The witness then called Ashdeep’s father “who requested that she break open the door to the bathroom.” She called her own brother to help her gain entry into the windowless bathroom; after he broke down the door, the witness said she saw Ashdeep lying in the bathtub unresponsive.
A report filed by the Medical Examiner’s Office determined that the cause of death was manual strangulation.
Detectives responded to the residence of Arjun’s ex-husband, Raymond Narayan, 65, and observed both Arjun and Narayan and the two grandchildren inside the apartment. Arjun allegedly refused to come out and refused to allow entry for over one hour. Narayan later opened the door and both were apprehended.

According to the complaint, an investigator said he saw “scratches on Arjun’s neck and bruising on her left arm.”

Narayan has been charged with misdemeanor obstructing governmental administration and faces up to a year in jail and/or $1,000 fine, if convicted, Brown said. His next court date is scheduled for Oct. 17.

Arjun has been ordered to return to court on Sept. 2.

“This is a horrifying case of a child, a defenseless 9-year-old, who was left in the care of her stepmother who allegedly strangled her to death,” Brown said. “Her actions, if true, are beyond comprehension and must be severely punished.”

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

By Forum Staff

World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. and the nonprofit group First Book looked to body-slam illiteracy last week by leading a Reading Celebration at the Boys & Girls Club of Metro Queens for 350 members.

WWE Superstars Cesaro, Darren Young, Lana, Apollo Crews, Sin Cara, ring announcer JoJo, and NBC

Universo’s Yarel Ramos read “Nino Wrestles the World” to 200 club members in grades K-5. The Superstars also participated in a question and answer session with 150 middle- and high-school members.

Additionally, WWE donated 1,000 books to the Richmond Hill club.

“I want to thank WWE and First Book for this incredible opportunity,” said John DeCristoforo, chief executive officer of the Atlantic Avenue BGCMQ. “The event was a tremendous success and most importantly, the kids had an amazing experience. I also want to thank the WWE Superstars for taking time out of their schedules to visit the Club and for delivering such positive and inspiring messages to our kids. It was a great way to end our Summer Camp program.”

By Michael V. Cusenza

A vicious Richmond Hill home invasion on Sunday left a man dead, his mom clinging to life in an area hospital, and a killer or killers on the loose, according to police and published reports.

Cops, responding to a 911 call, discovered the pummeled remains of public-school teacher Kenneth Schemitz around 2 a.m. on the first floor of the two-family house on 113^th Street that he shared with his mother, Vivian.

According to investigators, Kenneth, 37, suffered severe skull trauma, and had been stabbed repeatedly about the body, face, and head. Vivian Schemitz, 68, also was brutally beaten and stabbed. She was rushed to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, where she has been treated for facial fractures and lacerations. According to a source who knows the family, Vivian remained sedated at JHMC as of Wednesday night.

The victims were targeted in the early-morning attacks, but detectives were still trying to determine a motive. The source and published reports painted a stark picture of a dysfunctional family with a history of domestic incidents.

And earlier this year, a blaze broke out at the 113^th Street home. After an investigation, fire marshals determined that the inferno had been deliberately set.

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

It has been a formidable, faith-testing fortnight for our beloved borough.

Two weeks that most of us wish we could simply hit an existential Delete button and be done with forever.

Alas, no, we are saddled with these last 336 hours – and the raw, emotional aftermath of the soul-scarring events contained therein.

The Howard Beach community has been wracked by palpable grief, anger, and anxiety since the violent, vicious murder of Karina Vetrano, who was beaten, raped, and strangled while out on her daily run inside Spring Creek Park on Aug. 2.

Two weeks later. No suspects. No person of interest. No durable lead.

Asked if his family has had time to heal, Phil Vetrano replied that he doesn’t believe they’ll ever truly be able to.

Then, on Aug. 13, a sweltering summer Saturday in the city, an admired imam and his assistant are gunned down on Liberty Avenue as they walked home from afternoon prayers at their mosque.

The alleged perpetrator has been caught. But investigators still don’t have a motive.

The question on many minds: Is it hate?

While the answer at the moment is uncertain, we definitely witnessed simple acts of unmitigated love this week that give us hope for the next fortnight and forever.

As a result of the assassination of the cleric and his assistant in Ozone Park, Muslims across the country have expressed anxiety over walking to and from their houses of worship. No worries, said so many on social media.

I’ll walk with you.

And a movement of hope was born out of a dire need for humanity and humility.

“I’m big and tall and scary looking, and I love you and I want you to feel safe #IllWalkWithYou” Willem Smith tweeted to any Muslim having second thoughts about going outside alone.

This simple, gargantuan gesture made me think of a line of dialog I cribbed from a recent film.

“You’re a kite dancing in a hurricane.”

These last two weeks have been the ultimate sh*t-storm for our southern Queens communities. But I see so many unbreakable kites on the horizon…and hope is not far behind.

By Michael V. Cusenza

Police have reached out to the public for help in identifying a pair of stick-up crooks who robbed a man at gunpoint earlier this month in Richmond Hill.

According to investigators, shortly after midnight on Thursday, Aug. 4, the two suspects approached the 38-year-old victim as he was walking home in the vicinity 101^st Avenue and 131^st Street, pulled out a firearm, and forcibly removed his bookbag, which contained credit cards, an undetermined amount of cash, and his cell phone. There were no injuries. The suspects fled on foot “to parts unknown,” cops said.

The perpetrators are described as black men in their 20s, approximately 5-foot-10, 165 pounds, with brown eyes and short brown hair.

Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at (800) 577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, (888) 57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit info by logging onto NYPDCrimestoppers.com or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577. All correspondences are strictly confidential.

The Crime Stoppers Program offers rewards up to $2,000 for anonymous information that leads to the arrest and indictment of a violent felon. The program is supported by the City Police Foundation, and focuses on solving high priority violent crimes.

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

By Michael V. Cusenza

Police have reached out to the public for help in locating an elderly Richmond Hill man who has been missing for more than a week.

According to investigators, Mohamed Gaffer was last seen Monday, Aug. 1, 8 a.m. inside his 123^rd Street residence. He is described as being approximately 5-foot-6, weighing 90 pounds, with a thin build, brown eyes and grey hair. He was last seen wearing light-blue jeans, a white shirt and a black hat.

Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at (800) 577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, (888) 57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit info by logging onto NYPDCrimestoppers.com or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577. All correspondences are strictly confidential.

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

By Michael V. Cusenza

Hundreds of south Queens civic leaders, concerned residents, and business owners gathered in Woodhaven last Saturday to voice their opposition to the City’s Woodhaven-Cross Bay Boulevards Select Bus Service project.

Organized by the Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association, the Greater Woodhaven Development Corporation, Woodhaven Business Improvement District, and the Queens Public Transit Committee, the rally called more attention to the massive, transformative plan that, according to the Department of Transportation, aims “to implement Select Bus Service improvements that make existing bus service substantially faster and more reliable, while maintaining needed traffic flow and parking, and also making the corridor safer for all users. A combination of bus lanes, signal optimization, and transit signal priority can reduce bus travel times and greatly reduce the variability that congestion imposes on bus service. These measures will also improve schedule reliability and thereby improving overall transit quality.”

The groups that led last weekend’s rally disagreed.

“The de Blasio administration is planning dramatic changes that will ruin Woodhaven and Cross Bay boulevards,” they wrote on a flyer promoting the event.

The proposed SBS path is based on the existing Q52/53 bus route – a vital north/south thoroughfare carrying over 30,000 daily bus riders in the World’s Borough, along with heavy traffic volumes.

“South Queens is in danger of cardiac arrest because its main artery is clogged,” said Mike Scala, first vice president of the Queens Public Transit Committee.

“The corridor is served by several local, limited, and express bus routes,” the DOT has said. “Many travelers use these routes to connect to intersecting subway services in addition to going directly to businesses and schools along the corridor; however, the bus service is not as effective as it could be, as buses can be caught in congestion and the layout of the street makes bus stops difficult to reach for neighborhood residents.”

However, SBS project concerns include the removal of a lane of traffic on both sides of the boulevards, banning left-hand turns at certain intersections, and the addition of bus stops to medians.

“We want the de Blasio administration to know how unwanted the SBS plan is,” said Alex Blenkinsopp in the days leading up to the rally. “We want to educate the many people who are unaware of this plan and allow them to register their opposition. And ultimately, we want DOT and MTA to wake up and scrap this proposal, replacing it with something that actually accounts for the community’s concerns and needs.”

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

By Michael V. Cusenza

Violent crimes continue to decline across the five boroughs, according to the City Police Department’s latest available statistics.

In July, the City recorded the fewest index crimes of any July in the modern CompStat-era, with 9,064 offenses – 7 percent decrease, compared with same period last year. There were also 21 fewer shootings; 151 fewer robberies; 279 fewer burglaries; and 73 fewer auto thefts. Each of the drops are also all-time lows for the month of July in the modern CompStat-era.

Additionally, for the month of July, there were also 264 fewer grand larcenies; two more murders; three more reported rapes; and 76 more felony assaults, compared with July 2015.

“We are witnessing the confluence of the peace dividend and precision policing in New York City,” declared Police Commissioner Bill Bratton. “Shootings continue to fall precipitously, as do overall arrests. Our takedowns are undermining even the most obstinate criminal enterprises however, contributing to a double-digit rise in gun arrests. These results, coupled with the continued expansion of the NCO program, ensure the NYPD is at the forefront of a new policing model that fosters a city that is safe and fair, everywhere for everyone. I want to commend the men and women of the department for their ongoing dedication and excellence.”

Year-to-date, violent crime has continued its downward trend in NYC, according to police. There have been nine fewer murders and 131 fewer shootings year-to-date, compared with 2015. There have also been 439 fewer robberies and 973 fewer burglaries year-to-date, compared with 2015, cops said last week.

“This month’s record low shootings are clear proof that NYPD’s precision policing is working,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “With 11,000 fewer New Yorkers arrested while crime continues to drop, NYPD has proven we can use precision policing to hone in on the few individuals responsible for the majority of crime in our city. Thanks to the hardworking women and men of the NYPD, New York City remains the safest big city in the nation. And we will continue to maintain this progress while strengthening the relationship between police and community. Once again, the NYPD has demonstrated we have the most sophisticated and talented police force in the country. I want to thank Commissioner Bratton, Chief of Department [Jim] O’Neill and the entire NYPD team for their unwavering commitment to keeping our city safe.”

Prior to the July crime briefing, Bratton noted that last Thursday marked the 15^th anniversary of the death of Jack Maple, deputy commissioner for Crime Control Strategies during Bratton’s first run as the city’s top cop. The Richmond Hill native is widely credited with creating and developing CompStat, the crucial law-enforcement strategy tool the NYPD uses to track patterns and proactively fight crime. In 2014, Bratton renamed the CompStat Room the Jack Maple CompStat Center.

“Jack’s book was appropriately titled ‘Crime Fighter’ – that’s the greatest accolade that you could give to Jack Maple, was that he was a crime fighter – a crime fighter extraordinaire and we’re all the beneficiaries of that unique skill; all the criminologists in the world, everybody who studies crime – none of them compared to that guy because he understood it better than any of them,” Bratton said. “So, today, we commemorate and celebrate an extraordinary life that benefitted this extraordinary city.”

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

The following op-ed piece was submitted to The Forum by Alex Blenkinsopp of the Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association.

Transportation in southern Queens must be improved. The question is whether the Select Bus Service plan for Woodhaven and Cross Bay boulevards is the right approach. The answer is clear: This plan is foolish, expensive, dangerous, and absolutely wrong for the Boulevard.

That’s why multiple local organizations are hosting a rally this Saturday, Aug. 6, to fight the plan. The rally will be held at noon at the intersection of Woodhaven Boulevard and Jamaica Avenue, at the southeast corner (outside the bank), rain or shine. We hope to see you there.

It’s also why there’s a petition against this plan, which you can sign online at WWW.SAVEOURSTREETS.NYC or by calling (718) 296-3735.

Consider what the SBS plan will do:

First, it will eliminate two lanes of traffic 24/7, allowing only buses to use them. This means the same amount of traffic, squeezed into fewer lanes. It also means tickets for drivers who enter the bus lanes. It promises more congestion.

Second, this plan will move major bus stops off of sidewalks and onto medians. Bus riders will wait on islands with traffic passing by on both sides. Someone running to catch a bus at a median stop will now need to cross traffic, which is dangerous. In the winter, the snow is not currently cleared for pedestrians who rely on these islands for safety, so why should we expect them to be clear when bus riders are waiting there?

Third, this plan will prohibit left turns onto cross streets like Union Turnpike, Rockaway Boulevard, Penelope Avenue, and 101st Avenue. This will hurt nearby businesses. It will also divert drivers down side streets, increasing traffic on residential roads. This will be dangerous to families and detrimental to quality of life, especially because many vehicles diverted down residential streets will be delivery trucks.

Fourth, this will likely reduce parking. The Department of Transportation and MTA, which are guiding this plan, have been evasive about the parking impact. But consider Hoffman Drive by the Queens Center Mall, where the design plans erase more than a dozen parking spots.

Fifth, the proposal will cut half a dozen bus stops from the Q52/Q53 routes. DOT has been unclear about the proposal’s pricetag. DOT initially said a whopping $200 million. Then DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg reportedly testified that it was $400 million. Amid uproar, DOT backpedaled. We taxpayers can’t know how high the cost will climb.

DOT and the de Blasio administration are shoving this plan down our throats. They claim to want community feedback, but they ignored input from residents and local organizations; “feedback sessions” were really just attempts to sell their proposal. DOT fails to provide requested data or to reply to correspondence.

DOT also refuses to examine alternatives to the SBS plan, like running bus service along the inactive Rockaway Branch train tracks. And it won’t try easier solutions first—like extra-long “articulated” buses, off-board fare payment, synchronizing traffic lights, running more buses, a high-occupancy vehicle lane, or better enforcement of traffic laws.

DOT’s track record in our community is dreadful. They’ve taken four years to install a speed bump in Woodhaven. DOT causes traffic jams outside a local school by denying parking to school buses transporting special-needs children. DOT persistently failed to fix its broken lights in Forest Park, even when there was a serial rapist prowling the park. I can go on and on.

We don’t trust DOT, and we doubt their competence. It’s time to scrap this foolish plan and go back to the drawing board, this time with true community input. Until then, we’ll continue to fight.

Blenkinsopp is the director of Communications for the Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association.

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 (third from r.), City Parks Queens Borough Commissioner Dorothy Lewandowski (fourth from r.) civic leaders and other guests helped break ground last week on $1.45 million in upgrades to the Joseph DeVoy Playground in Forest Park.

The upgrades are being fully funded by the Borough President’s Office and feature the addition of dynamic playground equipment, including steel drums, accessible swings and a new tire swing. The playground’s main entrance will also be regraded and the entrance gate will be replaced with one that allows for better access to the site. The upgrades are scheduled to be completed by next summer, Katz said.

Joining Katz and Lewandowski at the groundbreaking were (l. to r.) Michael Palermo, president of the Forest Park Trust; Doris DeVoy (widow of Joseph DeVoy, for whom the playground is named); Heather DeVoy (granddaughter of Joseph and Doris DeVoy); Bishop David Benke of St. Peter’s Lutheran Church; Community Board 9 Chairman Raj Rampershad; and Barbara Stuchinski, chair of the Parks Committee of Community Board 6 and co-president of the Forest Hills Community and Civic Association.

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.

Jeff Schiff, former commanding officer of the 106^th Precinct, recently celebrated his promotion to Inspector from Deputy Inspector.

In March, after two years as the top cop at the 106, Schiff was tapped to take the reins at the massive 105^th Precinct in Queens Village. Captain James Fey succeeded Schiff at the 106.

Marking the milestone with the newly minted Inspector are his son, Tristan Tiberius, and his wife, NYPD Sgt. Dorian Schiff (Ret.)

And Inspector Schiff will soon celebrate another achievement: on July 18, 1996 – 20 years ago – he was sworn in as a City police officer.