New Rookies, A Burglary Bust & More News From The 66th Precinct Community Council Meeting

The cold weather (21 degrees) and Chinese New Year’s Day parties kept much of the public away from the 66th Precinct Community Council meeting on Thursday, February 19 at Community Board 12’s offices on 13th Avenue. Not wasting a minute, the electeds’ reps, the 66th Precinct  Community Council officials, and the cops schmoozed until the meeting began. The Brooklyn DA’s office, Councilmembers Brad Lander and David Greenfield, and the Democratic District Leader all had people there, as did the Brooklyn Outreach unit of the NYPD’s Community Affairs Bureau.

Once the meeting began, Commander Deddo introduced the precinct’s two youngest officers, Mai and Gofman, who are among the six recent graduates of the NYPD Police Academy now posted to the 66th. In the past rookies would have been assigned to “Operation Impact,” but as a result of NYPD Commander Bratton’s recent changes, they are getting on-the-job training at the 66 instead. As Democratic District Leader Jacob Gold, a former teacher, pointed out, just like student-teachers.

Working under the tutelage of veteran officers, the six will spend time with the 66th Precinct’s Domestic Violence and Conditions units and then move on to the Detective Squad and the Anticrime unit. So far Commander Deddo has introduced four of these rookies at the Council meetings, perhaps as part of their outreach training.

“When you’re answering a 311 call or investigating a crime, it often starts in a room like this,” Deddo said, and added, “We can also learn from them.”

In his time as commander at the 66th, D.I. Deddo has polished and perfected his schtick. He often ballyhoos the 66’s cosmopolitan flavor. It’s the place, he’s learned, where you can meet locals from around the world: the Chinese community at last Sunday’s New Year’s celebration on Sunset Park’s 8th Avenue; the religious Jewish community parading this Thursday, March 5 for Purim; perhaps the Uzbek community at the next 66th Community Council meeting March 19 in Midwood; the Bangladeshi community at the June Mela; the Pakistani community at their Coney Island Avenue banquet hall.

Increasingly overseas events have had a local impact, Commander Deddo pointed out. With more synagogues and mosques in the 66th Precinct than in any other NYC precinct, the 66th pays very close attention to what takes place 5,000 miles away.

“We react like it happened here,” Deddo said. “We’ve increased our coverage and counter-terrorism patrols.” And he advised: “Let us know if something doesn’t seem right.”

So it should not have come as a surprise when Deddo introduced a London homicide detective as his next guest. Awarded a Fulbright grant to study the Shomrim and its work with local patrols in the 66th, Detective Constable Amakai Kefas (pictured to the right), has been in NYC for the past few months as a UK-US Fulbright Scholar based at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and the precinct. A 10-year veteran of the London police force, she will be promoted to sergeant upon her return.

Working as a London murder detective, she said she often ran up against people in the community who refused to speak to the police. For her, the issue was how to bridge that gap, “to remove the layers,” as she put it, and “maintain longevity” with her local contacts. Looking for new approaches to police-community relations, she had heard of the Shomrim’s work and applied for the Fulbright. The competition was very stiff, she said, but in the end she won the prize, underwriting her current New York City stay. Another interest of hers is gender and the police, so she said she was thrilled to have met one of the first women who went on NYPD patrol.

In other news: Praising the cops who busted an uncle-nephew burglary team last week for excellent police work, Deddo said the team had preyed on 2- and 3-story buildings in the precinct’s neighborhoods, although they lived in the 63rd and 67th precincts. The D.A. demanded $350,000 in bail. Next month those cops will be honored with the “Cop of the Month” award.

Green Dot MoneyPak Card scams: According to Commander Deddo, it’s mainly the Bangladeshi and Pakistani communities the scammers have been targeting. In the newest twist, the caller/scammer tells the victim someone dear is being held hostage, or claim they’re from the IRS, Con Ed, or the police. In all cases, the callers want you to put money on the Green Dot MoneyPak Card, where they can steal it. As a result of this scam, people have lost $55,000 at a clip, their entire life’s savings. To protect yourself, hang up the phone and call 911 immediately.

NYPD Youth Academy: Applications for the NYPD Police Youth Academy, open to kids 10-16 years old, will be available the second week in April, adding several new Brooklyn locations to where you can pick up the applications. (Information on the flyer link is for last summer and will be updated by mid-March.) Under the supervision of an NYPD sergeant, the kids will attend six weeks of class instruction and make field trips starting in July. For more information, email Commassairs@NYPD.org or call 718-834-8824.

Next 66th Precinct Community Council meeting: Thursday, March 19, 7:30pm in Midwood, location still to be determined. Check with the Community Affairs unit at 718-851–5610, the precinct switchboard at 718-851-5611, or email 66precinctcc@gmail.com for details.