A Drop In Crime, Brooklyn Asian COP & More From The 66th Precinct Community Council Meetings

No past 66th Precinct Community Council meeting has surpassed the turnout of the one in Sunset Park, held April 10 at the Pacificana restaurant on the corner of 55th Street and 8th Avenue. Close to 80 people came, the majority from the Chinese community.

The change in locale and language brought a reversal in roles as Officer Daniel Zhang, the March Cop of the Month, stepped in as Commander Michael Deddo’s spokesman, speaking for him and other precinct staff in fluent Mandarin (pictured on left in photo above, with D.I. Deddo at podium).

Standing to Deddo’s right, Officer Zhang beamed as he translated a sampler of NYPD programs to an audience new to the precinct, each program introduced by a different cop.

Among them were:

• The summer Explorer programs for 14- to 20-year-olds and the Police Academy’s courses for young people (registration open until June 27) and adults: for more info, call Community Affairs at 718-841-5601.

• Volunteer opportunities, including work as a school crossing guard, becoming a member of a police auxiliary unit, or a volunteer patrol. More info at 917-882-5610.

• For those needing help with gangs, bullying, cyberbullying, proper use of prescription drugs, guns, as well as myriad other problems, the NYPD has a youth services and outreach program. For more information, call 718-730-8550.

The Brooklyn Asian Civilian Observation Patrol (BACOP), a program started three months ago that is headed by Louie Liu and modeled after the Shomrim, made its debut that evening wearing black jackets emblazoned with “Brooklyn Asian COP” across the back. Starting in the 72nd Precinct, the patrol has since crossed 8th Avenue, the dividing line between the 72nd and the 66th Precincts, and now operates in both. In just three months, Commander Deddo said, these volunteers have helped reduce crime in the Sunset Park area. To report a problem, volunteer, or for more information, contact BACOP at 718-412-9697 orbrooklynasiancop720@gmail.com.

For its May 15 meeting the peripatetic 66th Precinct Community Council returned to home base at CB 12’s offices on 13th Avenue. Commander Deddo plans another outing in October, most likely along Coney Island Avenue. He’s also considering a park or playground along 8th or 9th Avenues for the annual National Night Out Against Crime fete on Tuesday, August 4.

Upcoming events: Elections for new 66th Precinct Community Council officers will take place at next month’s meeting on Thursday, June 19. The only nomination was Kazi Asam who is running for treasurer. He currently serves as president of the Chittagong Association of North America. The other offices are president, vice president, recording and corresponding secretaries, and sergeant at arms. Anyone who has signed in and registered at three or four meetings is eligible to vote.

Bangladeshi Melas: There was one this past Sunday hosted by the Chittagong Association and another, the big one, on Sunday, June 22, sponsored by the Church-McDonald Bangladeshi Business Association (CMBBA).

Crime: The latest stats show crime in the 66th Precinct is “extremely down in just about every category,” Deddo said. It’s down 9% for the year and 23% for the month. Deddo tipped his hat to the community leaders, the volunteers, and the District Attorney’s office, whose cooperation, he said, made this drop possible.

Not that life in the 66th Precinct is dull. It again made the local news when its Hate Crimes Unit arrested a former 69th Precinct cop on Sunday May 4 for scrawling anti-Semitic graffiti in Borough Park. Just a week earlier, on Sunday April 27, a woman took two 4-year-olds she found in a driveway for a walk to the park. The precinct located the kids within two hours.

Moisha’s Discount Supermarket Follow-Up: It turns out Moisha’s Avenue M neighbors were right — Moisha’s forklifts were operating illegally. As if to underline their point, there was an incident on March 26 in Borough Park in which an elderly woman was seriously injured when an unlicensed forklift operator going the wrong way hit her. Commander Deddo promptly turned to the NYPD legal department to research forklift regulations and requirements.

The upshot: No longer can Moisha’s Discount drive its forklifts beyond its property line unless they are registered, as mandated by New York City law. The law also requires drivers be licensed by NYC and certified by OSHA. From now on, the 66th says, it will monitor those local businesses using forklifts carefully to make sure they are obeying the rules. Armed with this new information, the 66th Precinct Traffic Team and officers have put Moisha’s on its radar and are now dropping by three times a day. The precinct has issued 80 summonses so far to encourage Moisha’s to reform its bad habits.

ATM Skimmers: Due to a citywide increase in scammer-installed skimmers at ATM machines in banks and on card readers in gas stations and elsewhere, the 66th Precinct will be making weekly inspections at the 15 banks located in its command. The skimmers are hard to spot, frequently installed in the ATM card slot or at the  entrance door to an ATM corral. Their goal is to capture your PIN and account information stored on the magnetic strip. Best bet is to run your hand along the slot and keypad beforehand. There could also be a hidden pinhole camera attached nearby. If you see or feel something, go elsewhere. For more detailed information, see the NYPD Skim Protection Tipsheet.

Protect Your Kids: Teach Them Street Smarts: In February thieves hit up two 12-year-olds in Kensington on their 8am walk to school. Police say older teenagers or grown-ups tapped a boy on his shoulder and then robbed him of his money and cell phone. In a separate incident, they asked a girl for the time and then money. She refused to give them a $1 and got beat up. Thieves also took a cell phone and cash from a teenage boy on his way to school. In April another 13-year-old was robbed of his Beats headphones and an iPhone as he was coming home from school.

While the 66th Precinct detective squad has arrested many of these perps, Commander Deddo encourages teaching your children to be alert to their surroundings, especially others on the street. Store windows are a useful mirror to monitor nearby strangers. Introduce your child to the store owners on the route. The stores offer a safe harbor if the child feels his safety threatened. Should trouble arise, call 911 immediately for help.

Cops of the Month: Commander Deddo considers the Conditions Unit, who ordinarily work undercover in plain clothes, his A team. Sgt. John McCleary (third from right in photo), a comparative newcomer to the precinct, is in charge of the 5-member unit, pictured above with Commander Michael Deddo on the left.