Dec 30, 2016 3 min read News

Commander Promotion, Felony Assault Spike & More From 66th Pct Community Council

The 66 Precinct Community Council presents an award to Irene Chirinos, for a “job done well.” Deputy Inspector Kenneth Quick, in white shirt & tie. (Photo by Jole Carliner)

A big promotion led the way at the 66th Precinct Community Council meeting, held at Community Board 12’s offices in Borough Park on Monday, December 19. At the meeting’s holiday installment, there weren’t any magicians, kids, cops of the month, and hardly any women. Nonetheless, there was plenty of food and cause for celebration.

Captain Quick just learned he’d been promoted to Deputy Inspector; two new lieutenants had been added to the 66 Precinct roster, and volunteer Irene Chirinos received a plaque for a “job well done” honoring her behind-the-scenes service of 8 years sending out announcements, producing programs, and other duties to make the community council meetings run smoothly.

The two new lieutenants —- Lt. Zhen Zhou, transferred from Coney Island Housing, and Lt. Mohammad Noumani from Queens’ 115th Pct — will work the day and evening tours, respectively.

Three lieutenants (in black) and two community affairs officers (in blue): Special Operations Lt. LaTorre, Lt. Zhou; Lt. Noumani with Officers Vitella and Kukla. (Photo by Jole Carliner)

Captain, now Deputy Inspector, Quick, said it was fantastic to be acknowledged for hard work, but —- of course -— he insisted the real credit belonged to the 66 for their great work in crime reduction. For 2016, there were 100 fewer felony crimes than 2015.

In the past 28 days, CompStat shows a drop in overall crime by 4.5 percent and an 8.8 percent drop for the year as of December 25. The exception to the crime reduction was felony assault. As of December 18, felony assaults in the precinct rose to 185.7 percent for the past 28 days, and as of December 25 that number jumped back down to 54.5 percent.

Here’s the map showing where these assaults occurred for the year, January to December 25, 2016.

As he’s pointed out at other meetings, Quick explained felonious assault is often a crime of passion, for example, an argument over a parking space that escalates.

At NYPD CompStat 2 there is more information on crime in the 66th Precinct — 144 assaults since January 2016 were unclassifiable, while 24 were strangulation in the first degree, a charge often applied in Domestic Violence cases. Further clicking will tell you what days of the week these crimes occurred, or even the time of day.

As a follow-up to the last community council meeting where a woman bitterly complained about a gang-occupied derelict building on her block near 40th and Ft. Hamilton Parkway, the precinct got a full vacate order from NYC Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) the very next day, removed the gang members, arrested some of them and picked up useful information.

With the Winter Solstice, cold weather appeared to be on Deputy Inspector Quick’s mind. The chronic homeless have settled in the precinct, especially near the railroad tracks behind the precinct and along Ft. Hamilton Parkway.

Since being homeless is not a crime, the police do not have authority to pick people up unless it’s below 32 degrees. Even then, officers can only offer them, but not insist, on shelter. They have the right to refuse. With the holiday season at hand, an exploration of one’s inner good samaritan might be in order, with offers of food, blankets, coats, drink, or money to help people weather the cold, long nights ahead.

The next 66th Precinct Community Council meeting will take place on Monday, January 16 at 7pm at the same place: CB 12’s offices at 13th avenue and 59th Street. For more information, call 718-851-5611 or email 66precinctcc@gmail.com.