Captain John Costello addresses area residents Tuesday.

By Michael V. Cusenza

If you couldn’t make Tuesday’s Howard Beach Lindenwood Civic Association meeting at St. Helen Catholic Academy you missed an impromptu, symbolic passing of the blue torch as two former commanding officers of the 106th Precinct introduced area residents to their new top cop: Capt. John Costello.

“I have some tremendous shoes to fill,” Costello quipped after accepting the microphone from his immediate predecessor, Deputy Insp. Brian Bohannon, Jr., the newly minted commander of the 113th Precinct who expressed gratitude for the loyalty that Howard Beach and Lindenwood residents have displayed over the past three years.

Costello, 43, took the reins from Bohannon earlier this month. He noted Tuesday that his father, a retired cop, was raised in Howard Beach.

“My roots are from here,” the captain said, later adding that he’s “a third-generation cop” with two brothers and three cousins still on the job. “I’m humble and glad to be part of the community.”

Costello has hit the ground running. On Tuesday, he warned residents about crimes that usually see spikes during the holiday season.

“I’ve noticed in Howard Beach—be cognizant of your packages. Criminals are opportunists,” Costello cautioned. He also pointed out that there are 32 blue U.S. Postal Service collection boxes in Sector A (Howard Beach and Lindenwood); not all have been retrofitted with “fishing-proof” equipment.

“If you can, during the holidays, please physically go into the post office,” the captain said.

Costello on Tuesday also got the stamp of approval from a familiar face: Inspector Jeff Schiff, who led the 106 from September 2013 to March 2016. He’s currently assigned to the Counterterrorism Division.

“He knows what he’s doing fighting crime,” Schiff said of Costello.

Members of the ceremonial units of the Fire and Police departments ring the bell as the names of the 265 victims of the Flight 587 tragedy are read aloud.

By Michael V. Cusenza

Families of the 265 victims were joined Tuesday in Rockaway Park by first responders, area residents, and elected officials as the City observed the 18th anniversary of the American Airlines Flight 587 tragedy.

On Nov. 12, 2001, with Gotham still gripped with grief following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, AA Flight 587 crashed into Belle Harbor minutes after taking off from John F. Kennedy International Airport. All 260 people aboard the Airbus A300 aircraft bound for the Dominican Republic and five residents on the ground perished.

Since Nov. 12, 2006, the somber service has been held at Flight 587 Memorial Park on Beach 116th Street in Rockaway Park.

“On this solemn day, the entire Queens community remembers all those who lost their lives as well as the family and friends that they left behind,” State Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach) said.

“It’s 18 years later, but I know from speaking with so many of you that this day is one of a pain that is sharp and vivid just as much as it was 18 years ago,” Mayor Bill de Blasio added. “And grief has not lessened with time, but I also have heard from so many of you the memories, the joyful memories, of those you loved. What they meant to you what they still mean to you. What their lives meant for your family and the impact they have even today on children, on family, on friends who remember them, who live by their example, who are inspired by them.”

The meeting was held on Tuesday evening at the Howard Beach Library.

By Michael V. Cusenza
For generations, excessive noise has been a seemingly endless source of irritation from Breezy Point to Beechhurst.
And in recent weeks, Queens’ quality-of-life cacophony has created a summer of discontent for several Howard Beach residents who brought the issue to the attention of 106th Precinct Neighborhood Coordination Officers Tuesday evening at the Sector A (Howard Beach, Lindenwood) Build the Block meeting.
The “mystery music,” along with decidedly not harmonious sounds are emanating from the Howard Beach-Brooklyn border. The 106 NCOs Pete Paese and Mike Petrizzo indicated that they have discussed the problem with their colleagues in East New York’s 75th Precinct.
“Brooklyn deals with a lot more than Howard Beach deals with,” Petrizzo said. “Noise might not be a priority for them.”
The NCOs on Tuesday also encouraged meeting attendees gathered in the Howard Beach Library to continue calling and/or texting 311.
Some weary residents let out exasperated sighs when the city’s non-emergency governmental services and information line was even mentioned.
“311 is not good at responding, but they are a very good tracking system,” said long-time Community Board 10 Chairwoman Betty Braton, who later noted that Howard Beach isn’t even the noisiest patch of the precinct. That honor is shared by South Ozone Park and Richmond Hill.

By Michael V. Cusenza

Police were able to set the Howard Beach community at ease on Monday after several erroneous reports of a major shooting incident on Cross Bay Boulevard were splashed across social media platforms and even major newspaper screens, leading to at least one school lockdown.

“Nobody got shot in Howard Beach, residents were safe the whole time,” 106th Precinct Community Affairs Officer Mark Competello told The Forum.

According to police reports, a man was driving his SUV westbound on the Belt Parkway within the confines of the 113th Precinct on Monday morning when another vehicle pulled up to him and the driver unloaded three shots at the SUV.

The SUV driver then exited the parkway and flagged down the first cop he saw at Cross Bay Boulevard and 156th Avenue to report the incident. The motorist was not injured, cops said. However, he was taken into custody when records revealed an outstanding warrant attached to his name.

Saint Helen Catholic Academy in Rockwood Park was on temporary lockdown as a result of the activity in the area.

By Michael V. Cusenza

The commanding officer of the 106th Precinct told The Forum this week that his officers will soon meet with the owners/operators of the tractor trailers that seem to clog up both North and South Conduit avenues in South Ozone Park.
“We are aware of the situation and have visited the location,” Capt. Brian Bohannon said on Tuesday. “The trailers are moved frequently. We will sit down with management to discuss these issues.”
Residents have raised concerns about the problem in the past, noting the danger posed by the presence of detached trailers at busy intersections along both thoroughfares.
“It is not right how these owners of about 5-10 trucks have no regard for people’s safety,” one anonymous resident recently wrote to the blog Queens Crap. “Tell me how drivers can see oncoming traffic with these trucks illegally parked.”
It seems to be an enforcement issue. According to City Department of Transportation Traffic Rules, “Street storage of boat trailers, mobile homes and mobile medical diagnostic vehicles prohibited;” and “Street storage of vehicles prohibited.”

By Michael V. Cusenza

In the early morning hours of Feb. 26, 1988, Eddie Byrne gave up everything for this borough, this city, this country. That Friday, Eddie Byrne made the kind of once-every-millennium sacrifice that you might only have read about in comic books.

That sacrifice certainly changed Gotham City.

Byrne, a rookie City cop just seven months out of the academy and assigned to the 103rd Precinct, was summarily executed on Feb. 26, 1988, as he sat in his marked radio motor patrol car at 107th Avenue and Inwood Street in Jamaica, guarding the home of a critical witness in a major drug case.

The four killers that were convicted of the assassination—Philip Copeland, Todd Scott, Scott Cobb, and David McClary—were members of a drug gang that had been instructed to kill a police officer. At approximately 3:30 a.m., one of the men knocked on the passenger-side window of Byrne’s car to distract him as a second man opened fire just outside the driver’s side window. Byrne was shot five times in the head.

Byrne, a rookie just seven months out of the Police Academy and assigned to the 103rd Precinct, was killed guarding a critical witness in a major Jamaica drug case. Photo Courtesy of NYPD

He was 22 years old.

Copeland, Scott, Cobb, and McClary were sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. Each has been denied parole at their hearings.

On Monday, Feb. 26, 2018, a grateful city gathered at that infamous Jamaica intersection to mark the 30th anniversary of Eddie Byrne’s sacrifice.

“That was the beginning. That was a wakeup call for this whole city that it was time. It was time to no longer accept the violence that was so prevalent in New York City back in the ’70s and the ’80s,” recalled City Police Commissioner Jim O’Neill. “That wasn’t the high water mark though. In 1990 there were 2,245 homicides, but that was the beginning and we continued each and every year after that to make sure that the people who take this job understand why they take it. They take it to make a difference and to do good, and to make life better for the 8.5 million people in this great city. And they continue to do it each and every day.”

Mayor Bill de Blasio characterized Byrne’s death as not just simply a tipping point, but the spark of a revolution.

“In every tragedy we look for something we can cling onto and the case of the loss of Eddie is something very, very meaningful. He did not die in vain by any stretch of the imagination. There was anger, there was revulsion at the death of this good, young man,” he said. “It was not something this city ignored. It galvanized people, created one of those moments where people said enough is enough. The city came together and with the NYPD, the people of this city said we will not accept a situation where a young man like this is taken from us and we will not accept lawlessness. The NYPD, working with partners in every community block by block over years proceeded to take back this city. Many believe it began that day. I think a way to think about it is this: Eddie Byrne’s life may have ended but his tour of duty never did.”

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.”

The grainy security footage depicts one of the suspected South Ozone Park attackers.

By Michael V. Cusenza

Police recently reached out to the public for assistance in identifying one of three suspects wanted in connection with a violent August mugging that left a 61-year-old woman cut, shaken, and bruised on a South Ozone Park sidewalk.

On Friday, Aug. 5, around 2:25 p.m., three unknown black men approached the victim from behind and attempted to snatch her purse – but she refused, according to investigators.

The suspects then threw her to the ground on 111th Avenue near 123rd Street, punched her in the face, grabbed her bag, and fled in a sliver Chrysler Sebring in an unknown direction. The victim sustained minor bruising and lacerations to the face. She was treated at the scene by EMS, cops said.

The suspects were described as black men, 5-foot-6 to 6-feet tall.

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.

Bill Bratton left the NYPD on his own terms the second time around.

By Michael V. Cusenza

This past week marked the dawn of a new Blue day in the Big Apple as the 42nd police commissioner bade farewell to the Finest, and the 43rd police commissioner was sworn in as the city’s top cop.

Bill Bratton, a bona fide legend of law enforcement, retired following a 45-year career in public service – including two stints as New York City police commissioner under two (very) different mayors. He now embarks on a new opportunity in the private sector with the international consulting firm Teneo Holdings. Bratton will join the firm as senior managing director and executive chairman of Teneo Risk – a new division of the firm focused on advising clients on key risk identification, prevention, and response.

Career cop James O’Neill beams as he is sworn in as the City’s 43rd Police commissioner.

“Serving as police commissioner during your administration has been one of the great honors of my life, and as I tender this resignation I also tender my thanks,” Bratton wrote in his official resignation letter to Mayor Bill de Blasio. “In leading six different police departments across the country in the past 35 years, I have never been better resourced or more fully supported by any mayor. From equipment, to training, to technology, to policy, to the first substantive headcount expansion in more than a decade, you have stood by the NYPD and made much of what we have accomplished possible.”

In the same thorough missive, Bratton acknowledged his successor at 1 Police Plaza.

“You have left all of these initiatives in the best possible hands by appointing Jim O’Neill as my successor,” he said. “I am confident that you will have as productive a collaboration with Jim as you have had with me.”

O’Neill had served previously as chief of department, the NYPD’s highest uniformed rank. By all accounts a cop’s cop, the Brooklyn native has been widely credited with developing the neighborhood-based policing model that aims to foster greater police and community interaction and collaboration.

O’Neill began his law-enforcement career in 1983 with the Transit Police, which was then an independent police department. The married father of two sons has said that he credits his time on patrol on the trains and platforms of the subway system with helping him learn how to interact and communicate with a wide range of people, a skill he regards as essential to successful police work.

“With cops and community together, we will continue to be a city that bucks the negative crime trends prevalent elsewhere, a city that embraces its differences and its similarities, a city that keeps thriving, and a city that’s a model of success for the rest of America and for the world,” O’Neill wrote in a message to the men and women of the NYPD. “I am privileged and eager to move forward with all of you.”

O’Neill’s leadership team boasts some familiar faces, including new Chief of Department Carlos Gomez (former chief of patrol and commanding officer of the 106th Precinct.)

“As the highest ranking uniformed member of service, I’ll continue with our efforts to reduce crime, expand our counterterrorism efforts, support our officers, and improve community relations,” Gomez said on Tuesday at his swearing-in ceremony. “In the last two decades, we’ve seen a dramatic transformation in New York City…a transformation for the better.”

The funding has been allocated through the DOJ Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.

By Forum Staff

Internet predators will face closer scrutiny after a Department of Justice (DoJ) grant to the NYPD, which will funnel $430,440 in federal (DOJ) funding into the coffers of the New York Police Department (NYPD)’s New York City Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (NYCICACTF).

Specifically, the funds will help the NYPD increase the number of affiliate agencies within the task force and better utilize the resources of the NYPD in peer-to-peer, child enticement, child prostitution and human trafficking investigations.

The funding is targeted to expand the membership in both local and federal agencies and facilitate members receiving available resources and extending the strength of the task force’s jurisdiction across state and international borders.

and their involvements within the task force, in order to receive their resources and extend the task force’s jurisdiction across state and international borders.

In addition, the offices of the five District Attorney’s across the state will now be utilized to enhance the coordination of the enforcement and prosecution of crimes against children cases.

Other resources within the NYPD will be further utilized, including the Vice Enforcement Division’s Sexual Exploitation of Children Squad, the Vice Major Case Squad and the Youth Services Section.

The integration of the Vice Major Cases Squad will enhance the task force’s ability to investigate peer-to-peer, child enticement, child prostitution, and human trafficking investigations. Additionally, by using the NYPD’s Youth Services, the task forces ability to spread its awareness and outreach programs to a larger audience within each community will be greatly increased.

The announcement of the grant came last week came from U.S. Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand. “This federal funding will help the NYPD’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force better protect our children from being targeted online,” said Senator Schumer.

The National Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Program consists of State and local law enforcement task forces dedicated to developing effective responses to online enticement of children by sexual predators, child exploitation, child obscenity and pornography cases.

Chris McGuinness, of the 71st Precinct Detective Squad, finished in 3rd Place.

By Alan Krawitz

A member of New York City’s Finest finished in first place on Sunday, earning top civil-service chef honors at the second annual Battle of the Badges Cook-Off between the NYPD and FDNY at Resorts World Casino in South Ozone Park.

Detective Ed Behringer’s two dishes helped him take the top prize at this year’s competition: pistachio-crusted chicken breast stuffed with sausage and apples, grilled vegetable ratatouille, and roasted garlic mashed potatoes; the other dish was Behringer’s take on an old favorite: bacon cheeseburger egg roll with an Asian slaw.

“I enjoy making simple dishes with international influences,” said Behringer, a 15-year NYPD veteran with the Highway Patrol’s Collision Investigation Squad, a specialized unit which looks into motor vehicle collisions that involve fatalities or serious injuries. “All my dishes are foods that my family and I enjoy eating.”

Asked about the rivalry between the two agencies, Behringer chalked it up to good fun.

“I believe the cook-off between the different city agencies is a great opportunity for us to come together and share a day of great food and friendly competition,” he said, noting that he loves to cook and has been at it since he was 18 years old. “It’s a way to release some stress and get together with people and share good food.”

Participants from the two first-responder agencies went grill-to-grill for bragging rights amid a day of fun, food, and festivities.

The cook-off also featured a South Queens community day that boasted everything from carnival games and face painting, to inflatable bounce-houses and a rock climbing wall.

Event host Ray Cooney, a retired FDNY firefighter and host of “Firehouse Kitchen” on PBS-NYCTV, which features firefighters and their favorite recipes, predicted “the winner will likely be a fireman,” adding that “firemen cook and cops sit in cars.”

Borough President Melinda Katz was also on-hand for the annual event.

“It’s a great day for the borough and the city of New York,” Katz said. She also thanked all first responders for their work following the bombing in Chelsea on Saturday night.

Khalid Baylor, a firefighter with Ladder Co. 14, earned 2nd Place honors.

“It’s all right,” he said. “I’m happy to participate and be able to cook in the competition.”

Chris McGuinness, a detective with the 71st Precinct in Brooklyn, said he was thinking “outside the box” this year with his chicken and burger dishes, which cooked up the 3rd Place prize.

McGuinness, an 11-year veteran of the NYPD who admits that he “always wanted to be a cop,” served freshly prepped chicken, ginger and apple sausage made with apple and jicama style slaw. His second dish took dry-aged steaks ground with fresh spices, garlic, and sautéed portobello mushrooms topped with blue cheese crema on toasted brioche.

“I’ve made variations of these dishes before but never these exact dishes. I basically made the recipe up,” McGuinness said. “I’m always cooking for the guys I work with.

“We definitely don’t have the time to cook like the Fire Department, who also gets paid to sleep and play video games,” he added with a hearty laugh.

The suspects allegedly sold drugs and weapons to undercover cops during the year-long investigation.

By Forum Staff

Three gang members were among a dozen drug peddlers arrested and charged with selling drugs and weapons to undercover police officers at the New York City Housing Authority’s Astoria Houses after a year- long anti-drug initiative investigation. More arrests are expected.

Defendants in custody and other individuals are said to have sold heroin, crack, cocaine and other drugs to undercover police officers on nearly one hundred separate occasions since September 2015. Three of the defendants arrested have also been charged with separately selling a firearm to an undercover officer.

In a statement by District Attorney Richard Brown, he said that the investigation was part of an anti-drug initiative begun when he first took office over twenty-five years ago.  “Since that time, we have targeted hundreds of drug dealers operating in and around public housing developments throughout Queens and have put a significant dent in the drug trafficking which has long troubled the residents of these developments. We will continue to work together with our police officers and our elected officials and community leaders to keep our citizens safe.”

Brown continued explaining that the takedown started in September of 2015 and was designed to combat violence and narcotic sales in and about the Astoria Houses development a group that included alleged members of the street gangs ‘Kings of Queens’ and ‘G- Squad.’ “In all,” he said, “undercover officers allegedly made 98 buys for cocaine, heroin, ecstacy, MDMA, marijuana and other drugs, as well as firearms.”

Commissioner Bill Bratton commended the NYPD and Brown’s office for the arrests, saying,  “ Illegal narcotics and firearms serve only to fuel violence. The NYPD remains firmly committed to protecting communities such as the Astoria Houses and holding responsible those who engage in drug and gun trafficking.”

The investigation began in September 2015 when detectives assigned to the NYPD’s Queens Narcotics Division teamed up with District Attorney Brown’s Narcotics Investigation Bureau with the goal of identifying, disrupting and stopping drug dealers and drug-related violence in and around the Astoria Houses. During the course of the investigation, undercover officers purchased narcotics and marijuana, as well as firearms, on nearly 100 separate occasions.

Charges for the defendants include first-, second- and third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance, third- and fourth-degree criminal sale of marihuana, third- degree criminal sale of a firearm, second- and third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, criminal possession of a weapon, fourth-degree grand larceny, possession of a gambling device, second- degree promoting gambling and fourth-degree criminal facilitation.

The Astoria Houses, which are owned and managed by the New York City Housing Authority, consists of twenty-two buildings that are six- and seven-stories tall. Completed in November 1951, the 32.3-acre Queens development houses some 3,175 residents in approximately 1,100 apartments. The Astoria Houses is bordered by 27 Avenue, 8 Street, Hallet’s Cove and the East River.

Police Commissioner Bill Bratton and the NYPD immediately issued “Broken Windows is Not Broken” – the department’s response to the Inspector General’s report on quality-of-life enforcement.

By Michael V. Cusenza

 City Police Commissioner Bill Bratton last week roared back at the Department of Investigation’s Office of the Inspector General for the NYPD, ripping its June report on quality-of-life policing as a “deeply flawed” analysis “without merit” that “perpetuates misunderstandings about a police strategy that is critical to the well-being of New York City.”

The OIG’s 87-page account, “An Analysis of Quality-of-Life Summonses, Quality-of-Life Misdemeanor Arrests, and Felony Crime in New York City, 2010 to 2015,” examined “what, if any, data-driven evidence links quality-of-life enforcement¾defined narrowly for purposes of this report as quality-of-life criminal summonses and quality-of-life misdemeanor arrests¾to a reduction in felony crime.”

The Office of the Inspector General noted that the report “looks solely at the question of whether quality-of-life enforcement has any measurable relationship to felony crime. This report does not speak to the use of quality-of-life enforcement to maintain order, nor does it speak to any type of quality-of-life enforcement other than quality-of-life summons and misdemeanor arrest activity.”

Following a “months-long” analysis of six years of summons, arrest, and complaint data, the OIG indicated that it “has found no empirical evidence demonstrating a clear and direct link between an increase in summons and misdemeanor arrest activity and a related drop in felony crime.”

Bratton and the NYPD have issued a scathing 41-page response to the OIG report, blasting everything from its methodology to “its veiled attack on the concept of Broken Windows policing.” Bratton added that, through its response, the NYPD “must also categorically refute any insinuation that Broken Windows policing is racially discriminatory.”

“Going back as far as 1978, in the streets of the Fenway, I have seen community complaints about quality of life conditions dominate conversations between the community and the police,” Bratton said. “The NYPD’s Neighborhood Coordination Officer Program re-affirms what I learned all those years ago, that neighborhood residents expect action on the part of the police regarding lesser crimes and signs of disorder. Enforcement targeting these conditions has become known as “quality-of-life” policing, and it has been frequently disparaged as a vehicle of oppression that creates racially disparate outcomes. That could not be further from the truth. This type of policing is an essential tool of community engagement and trust building, most often in direct response to community concerns. Quality of life policing will remain a key strategy for the NYPD.”

The department also pointed out that it does not stand alone in its rejection of the OIG report.

“Two independent criminologists, Richard Rosenfeld and David Weisburd, have also roundly criticized the report, citing: problems with its research and statistical methodology; the lack of consideration for officer discretion; and the omission of the 16 years prior to 2010 — when misdemeanor arrests strongly correlated to the largest crime decline in New York City history,” the NYPD wrote. “These criminologists have also determined the analysis contained in the report is not strong enough to support its conclusions.”

In conclusion, according to Bratton and the NYPD, “the OIG has issued a report using questionable methodology and has reached unsupported conclusions challenging a police strategy that has been central to the city’s efforts to promote public safety while also enhancing trust and public confidence in the police department. This report perpetuates misunderstandings about a police strategy that is critical to the well-being of New York City and has played a central role in creating the safest big city in America.”

Transit Officers Tiffany D’Alessandro (l.) and Kara Brandofino.

By Michael V. Cusenza

 Two Transit cops on Sunday arrested a man for groping and attempting to rob a dormant woman on the 7 train, according to the NYPD.

Officers Tiffany D’Alessandro and Kara Brandofino were posted at the Main Street station in Flushing when they saw a man trying to hide what appeared to be women’s hand lotion as he exited the train. The partners then noticed a woman on the train who, according to the officers, was crying and visibly upset.

The woman told the cops that she fell asleep and awoke to the man forcibly touching her as he rifled through her purse. D’Alessandro and Brandofino quickly arrested the suspect who was later charged with grand larceny, forcible touching, criminal possession of stolen property, and sexual abuse, Police said.

According to the latest available CompStat figures, Transit crime in the Flushing area has remained steady over the past year: There have been 13 reported offenses through the first eight months of 2016 – the same amount as this period last year.

Two Anti-Crime Unit cops recently apprehended an alleged gang member and were able to get another gun off 106^th Precinct streets in the process.

“Kudos to 106 AC, Lt Zocchia & Sgt Fergus 4 arrest of gang member with Mac 11 firearm with 30 round clip #onelessgun,” the precinct posted to its Twitter feed last Friday, along with an image of the deadly weapon.

Great job, officers!

Mayor de Blasio and Commissioner Bill Bratton take a question during Tuesday’s press conference.

By Michael V. Cusenza

 The City experienced the safest summer – in overall crimes reported – in the entire CompStat-era that began more than 20 years ago, according to Mayor Bill de Blasio and the City Police Department.

There were 1,610 fewer crimes reported during the three main summer months in 2016, or a 5 percent decrease, compared with the same period in 2015. This also marks a 73 percent decrease, or 73,463 fewer crimes, compared with the same period in 1994 – the initial year CompStat was implemented during Police Commissioner Bill Bratton’s first tenure leading the NYPD for Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

According to the NYPD, for August 2016, each category of index crime experienced a decrease – resulting in 957 fewer total index crimes reported, or a 9 percent reduction, compared with August 2015. Murder is down one crime, or -2.9 percent for the month, compared with August 2015. Also for August 2016: rape is down 10 crimes, or -6.7 percent; robbery is down 247 crimes, or -15 percent; felonious assault is down 162 crimes, or -7.6 percent; burglary is down 289 crimes, or -20 percent; grand larceny is down 224 crimes, or -5.4 percent; and grand larceny auto is down 23 crimes, or -3.3 percent.

Tuesday marked Bratton’s final crime press briefing. According to the department, there were 1,946 murders in 1993. There were 352 murders in 2015. In calculating the annual reduction in murders over the ensuing two decades, it can be inferred that approximately 28,800 fewer murders have occurred in the five boroughs since Bratton first implemented CompStat with the late-Jack Maple in 1994.

“CompStat changed how police view crime problems,” Denise O’Donnell, director, Bureau of Justice Assistance, and Chuck Wexler, executive director, Police Executive Research Forum, wrote in the Foreword to the report “CompStat: Its Origins, Evolution, and Future in Law Enforcement Agencies.” “Instead of merely responding to crimes after they are committed, police fundamentally expanded their mission to include preventing crimes from happening in the first place. CompStat helps to achieve that mission. Essentially, a CompStat program requires police to gather timely, accurate information about crime patterns, and then respond quickly to break up those patterns.”

“Detractors said it couldn’t be done. We have further reduced violence and serious crime across this city, yet again,” Bratton said. “The tremendous focus on a small group of criminals has resulted in these unprecedented declines in crime – as violence has increased in other American cities significantly. To the men and women of this Department, thank you for what you do every day to make this the safest big city in America.”

De Blasio added, “Our city just experienced the safest summer since the NYPD broke ground with CompStat more than two decades ago. It is clear from our success this summer that neighborhood policing works. Commissioner Bill Bratton has helped make our city the safest big city in America. We owe the Commissioner an extraordinary debt of gratitude for the lives he has saved and the security he has brought neighborhoods across our five boroughs. While the achievements of Commissioner Bratton can never be replicated, I have never been more confident in the future of the NYPD than I am today knowing that Chief Jimmy O’Neill will continue the department’s focus on precision and neighborhood policing as we deepen the bond between officers and the communities they serve and protect.”

By Michael V. Cusenza

New York State and local law-enforcement agencies’ concerted crackdown on drunk and impaired driving will continue through the upcoming holiday weekend, according to Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Considered the unofficial end of summer, Labor Day weekend is also one of the deadliest times of year for drunk and drugged driving fatalities. Last year, 41 Empire State counties participated in the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over Labor Day crackdown, resulting in 237 driving while intoxicated/driving while ability impaired arrests; 17 Drug Recognition Expert Evaluations; 26 DWAI-drug only arrests; 317 other arrests; and more than 3,400 vehicle and traffic law summonses.

This year’s Drive Sober… campaign, which began statewide on Aug. 18 and ends Sept. 5, aims to reduce deaths and injuries caused by motorists driving drunk or impaired by drugs.

“Drunk drivers are a danger to themselves and others, and law enforcement is committed to ensuring the safety of everyone on the road,” Cuomo said. “Impaired driving is a reckless and dangerous crime with potentially fatal consequences, and I urge New Yorkers to drive responsibly to avoid senseless tragedies.”

Impaired driving, according to Cuomo’s office, is a major contributor to crash fatalities. One-third of all traffic crash fatalities in the United States involve drunk drivers. In New York, alcohol involvement was listed as a contributing factor in more than 7,000 police-reported crashes in 2015, while illegal drugs contributed to more than 800 crashes. Additionally, impaired-driving crashes cost the United States $44 billion each year. The penalties for impaired driving are accordingly strict. Drivers convicted of DWI or DWAI three or more times in 15 years face a Class D felony charge, up to seven years in prison, and a fine up to $10,000.

In New York, impaired driving enforcement campaigns are funded by the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee and STOP-DWI, a self-sustaining highway safety program that allows participating counties to qualify for the return of all fines collected within their county for alcohol and other drug-related traffic offenses. The GTSC backs statewide enforcement and education in conjunction with national crackdowns, and uses federal funds to support impaired driving projects, in addition to supplementing the resources available for statewide enforcement efforts, according to the administration. These include statewide public information campaigns, training programs, multi-agency advisory groups, research studies and projects to enhance state agency programs.

“Every year there are needless tragedies and a wake of victims left behind because of the decisions made by impaired drivers,” said State Police Superintendent George Beach II. “Through education and enforcement, the New York State Police work to keep these drivers off the road. Through campaigns like Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over, we remind people of the dangers of drinking and driving. Together, we can keep New York State’s roads among the safest in the nation.”

The administration also pointed out that drunk driving is often a symptom of a larger problem: alcohol misuse and abuse. Cuomo said New Yorkers can find help for addiction by calling the state’s toll-free, 24-hour, 7-day-a-week HOPEline at 1-877-8-HOPENY (1-877-846-7369) or by texting HOPENY (467369). Addiction treatment providers can be located on the State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services Access Help website or on the Treatment Availability Dashboard.

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

By Michael V. Cusenza

A bizarre social media message sent directly to the Queens borough president last week prompted her to alert authorities, as the note contained a reference to her children, according police and published reports.

The creepy correspondence was sent to Borough President Melinda Katz’s Facebook account last Tuesday, around 1:30 a.m. It was a “DM” or direct message – a private digital missive that only Katz and the sender could see.

“You know who you are,” the message said, according to a New York Daily News report, later mentioning Katz’s two sons with radio personality Curtis Sliwa: Carter, 6, and Hunter, 4. “You know why you have (them). If you don’t want to answer this question we will meet Times Square August 18, 10 p.m.”

The person’s name was not made public by police, but the News indicated that Katz told cops that she did not recognize the name. She also said she did not know why the suspect referenced Times Square.

“Out of an abundance of caution, given that the message noted a specific time and place, we felt it our duty – as any New Yorker should – to bring it to the attention of the proper authorities,” said Katz spokeswoman Sharon Lee.

Katz has been in the public eye for years. Prior to succeeding Helen Marshall as borough president in January 2014, she was a member of the City Council from 2002 through 2009; and from 1994 through 1999 the Democrat represented the 28^th District in the Assembly.

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

By Michael V. Cusenza

Eight security cameras purchased with funds allocated by Queens Borough President Melinda Katz were installed by the City Police Department on Wednesday afternoon around Spring Creek Park in Howard Beach.

The new surveillance measures arrived three weeks after Karina Vetrano, 30, was beaten, strangled, and sexually assaulted while on her daily run inside the federal green space. The case remains open and unsolved.

“Borough President Katz was pleased to provide the funds, and is grateful to the NYPD for being responsive and considering our request,” said Katz spokeswoman Sharon Lee.

Earlier this year, the borough president secured $1.2 million for 34 cameras to be installed around the county. Roughly 24 hours after Vetrano’s body was discovered in the Spring Creek marshes, Katz called the NYPD to request that at least some of the cameras be designated for the park. That Friday, Aug. 5 – just two days after the Katz phone call – the department contacted the BP to inform her that eight cameras were feasible for areas around the federal land.

On Monday, Aug. 8, during a Town Hall meeting to discuss the Vetrano case and efforts to ensure the safety and security of residents, Katz told an anxious community that the cameras were on their way.

“It’s important for folks to know: You enter there, you exit there, you’re going to be filmed,” Katz said of Spring Creek.

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

By Michael V. Cusenza

“It’s really an honor…a real distinction.”

MediSys Health Network Vice President Angelo Canedo, Ph.D., beamed with palpable pride last Friday morning as he described the significance of blemish-free verification as a Level I Trauma Center.

“It means that we can truly serve our community with the best of trauma care,” Canedo continued. “That’s our honor and privilege.”

Canedo was joined by Bruce Flanz, president and CEO of MediSys Health Network and JHMC, and the hospital’s trauma care team in announcing that JHMC received a perfect score on its trauma verification survey conducted by the American College of Surgeons. The accredited organization of experts in the trauma field reviewed Jamaica’s capabilities through an intense three-year audit, and verified that it meets the standards for Level I Trauma status – without a single deficiency.

“It’s the highest order of trauma center,” Canedo said. “It means that you should be able to handle the simplest and most complex of cases. Officer Healey was certainly a complex case.”

Canedo referred to NYPD Officer Kenneth Healey, who helped JHMC mark the occasion last Friday. Healey shared his own harrowing experience and detailed how Jamaica’s Trauma Service saved his life.

On Oct. 23, 2014, Healey and three fellow uniformed police officers – Joseph Meeker, Taylor Kraft, and Peter Rivera – were on a foot post on Jamaica Avenue near 162^nd Street around 2 p.m. when they were approached by a freelance photographer who asked them to pose for a picture. As the officers obliged, a man identified as Zale Thompson, 32, charged at them with a hatchet in his hand. Unprovoked and not speaking a word, Thompson then swung the hatchet at Meeker, striking his right arm. Thompson, who later was characterized by Bratton as a “self-radicalized” Muslim, continued swinging the hatchet, striking Healey in his head, causing him to fall to the ground.

As Thompson continued his assault, Bratton said, Kraft and Rivera opened fire, killing him. Healey’s brothers in blue lifted him into a police vehicle and rushed him to nearby Jamaica Hospital, where he “received life-saving treatment from the Trauma Team” and remained in critical condition for days.

Healey survived his wounds and made it all the way back to the job last December. On NYPD Medal Day, he received the Medal of Honor, and his former 103^rd Precinct colleagues Joseph Meeker, Taylor Kraft, and Peter Rivera earned the Combat Cross.

Jamaica has been a State-Designated Level 1 Trauma Center each year since 1987. According to JHMC, Healey is just one example of the more than 1,700 patients its Trauma Service treats annually, making it one of the busiest in the New York-Metropolitan Area.

Canedo told The Forum that JHMC definitely will rely on the new national trauma distinction when it applies for federal funding down the road. However, for now, it seems that Canedo and his colleagues are savoring a certain perfect score.

“It is, in our opinion, in our DNA,” Canedo said. “Our whole hospital responds to trauma.”

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com