Notes From the 70th Precinct Community Council Meeting

This month’s 70th Precinct Community Council meeting was quiet. There were a lot of people, but most wanted to get to a BBQ out back that was following the meeting, and the Commanding Officer was on vacation. Even so, neighbors who showed up (thank you to those who did) had serious questions and a demand for answers. Here’s some of what was covered:

• Regarding the vandalism and violence neighbors have been seeing around Argyle and Cortelyou, police say if you see something going on, even if it hasn’t escalated yet, call 911. Now that school’s out, have things calmed down a little?

• As we mentioned yesterday, there have been a string of home burglaries in the area recently, including two in the daytime on Wednesday. I noticed an increase of patrolling in the neighborhood yesterday, anyone else?

• During the 4th of July, police say they’ll be out in force, patrolling heavily. One thing they expect is a lot of noise complaints. If you have one, call 311, not 911. It doesn’t matter what time of day it is–if there’s unreasonable noise, they say they will respond.

• They remind that fireworks, even sparklers, are illegal in New York. You can anonymously report the delivery, sale, or storage of fireworks to 911 for crimes in progress, or 311 or the 70th Precinct directly at 718-851-5511.

• To that end, there’s a fireworks amnesty event at the 62nd Precinct at 1925 Bath Ave in Bath Beach tomorrow, Saturday, June 30, from 9am to 5pm. Bring in fireworks–no names taken, no questions asked–they’re just trying to prevent potential injuries.

There are no Community Council meetings in July or August, but you can still reach out to the 70th Precinct with your concerns by contacting Community Affairs at 718-851-5557. And come fall, remember that these meetings are an excellent opportunity to speak directly with the officers in charge about the things that are happening in your neighborhood.