Notes From The 70th Precinct Community Council Meeting

Wednesday night’s gathering of the 70th Precinct Community Council was a far shorter, and less crowded, event than November’s meeting, with the majority of the evening revolving around police and the precinct’s youth Explorers group handing out presents from Toys for Tots to children from the neighborhood.

Prior to the presents, there were reports from the precinct’s Executive Officer Anthony Sanseverino, Community Council President Ed Powell and others. Highlights from the meeting included:

• Sanseverino and Powell praised the Flatbush Shomrim, a  volunteer neighborhood watch group, whose executive coordinator, Bob Moskowitz, attended the meeting. Sanseverino told the crowd that “it says a lot about a person’s character when they service their community on their own time,” and Powell said the group has “been so helpful to the 70th Precinct that it’s just unimaginable. So many crimes that were solved were solved with the help of Flatbush Shomrim.”

• Crime in the precinct is down about 8 percent over this time last year, Sanseverino reported. “We’re down 139 crimes – that’s 139 less victims,” he said. Of the seven major index crimes that the NYPD track (murder, rape, robbery, felony assault, burglary, grand larceny, and grand larceny auto), only felony assaults have increased since last year, increasing from 259 at this time in 2013 to 282 now. According to Sanseverino, that increase can be attributed to “the great work our domestic violence team does,” saying that there has been an increase in the number of people who feel comfortable reporting abuse.

• Holiday tips: Sanseverino urged neighbors to not put packages unattended in your vehicle. “People are watching you,” he said. Additionally, he encouraged individuals to “not advertise that you’re out of the house on social media… It’s an opportunity for somebody to commit a crime in your house.” And, with identity theft on the rise, Sanseverino said people at ATMs should “not be afraid to put your hand over your other hand while you type in your information.”

• The 70th Precinct is holding a winter coat and food drive until January 31. You may bring coats and canned good into the precinct’s headquarters, located at 154 Lawrence Avenue, any time through the end of January.

• Wendy Powell, a representative from Assemblywoman Rhoda Jacobs’ office, said neighbors who have been helped by Jacobs’ office have until December 18 to pick up files  from the legislator’s office. After more than 36 years in office, Jacobs is retiring and will be replaced by Assemblywoman-elect Rodneyse Bichotte. You can call Jacobs’ Nostrand Avenue office at 718-434-0446 to inquire about your paperwork.

• Harry Schiffman, from Assemblyman Jim Brennan’s office, invited neighbors to a holiday open house the lawmaker’s sponsoring alongside the Flatbush Development Corporation and the 70th Precinct next Tuesday, December 16. The open house will be at Brennan’s office (1414 Cortelyou Road) from 3-7pm, and you can read more about it here.

Following the official portion of the meeting, the officers and Explorers members handed out presents, and neighbors snacked on food from San Remo and Mountain Fruit. Powell also noted that Glen Wolin from CERT made a generous donation for toys and food for the evening.

The next meeting of the 70th Precinct Community Council will be January 28 at 7:30pm at 175 Lawrence Avenue.