The 66th Precinct Holds Court At The Pacificana On 8th Avenue

A pride of police and their friends held court Thursday evening, January 15 at the Pacificana, a Chinese banquet hall at 813 55th Street, at the corner of 8th Avenue, in the heart of Brooklyn’s Chinatown. It was the second time since April, 2014 that the 66th Precinct Commander Michael Deddo chose to  hold its monthly Community Council meeting there. This time, he used it to showcase the members of his team, the 66th’s activities in the 8th Avenue shopping district, a street it splits with the 72nd precinct; its Asian officers; and the NYPD  programs run by and with community volunteers – such as the NYPD Auxiliary and the Explorers. The audience were mainly individuals who are Chinese-American from the Sunset Park area, and Officer Jiang translated what was said during the meeting into Mandarin.

In his remarks, Commander Deddo said the precinct had closed out the year with felony crime down 4.65%. Assisted by its Asian officers on street patrol and its Asian supervisors, the 66th is prepped to take on one of its biggest complaints along Eighth Avenue, Chinatown’s high street: the theft of women’s purses.  Recently, English-  and Chinese-speaking plainclothes officers identified and arrested a man accused of being a master snatcher.

Another recurring problem, burglary, could be curtailed if people followed basic police crime-prevention tips and locked their fire escape windows and front doors, officers at the meeting said. Traffic congestion also plagues the area. Double- and bus-stop parking are two roadblocks to smoother traffic flow. Call the precinct’s Traffic Hotline to complain or make suggestions: (718) 851–3414.

Asked about the NYPD “slowdown,” a question that’s come up at other precincts’ Community Council meetings, Deddo insisted there was no slowdown in the 66th. Nonetheless, he said, “We’ve had to be doubled up since the December 20 tragedy (when the two NYPD officers were assassinated in the 79th Precinct.)  We’re no longer driving solo patrol.”

As to the matters surrounding Eric Garner’s death following being placed in a chokehold by a police officer, he said it was litigated in court. “We’re increasing our retraining.”  Officers will  be attending it shortly.

Moving on to NYPD programs that serve the community, Commander Deddo introduced Jason Monroe, of the Auxiliary Police, which is eager to recruit new members.  They are the community’s eyes and ears and assist 66th Precinct officers with traffic control, safeguarding religious institutions, and wherever needed. Anyone over 17 years old can join, and college students can earn work credit.  Email Jason.monroe@NYPD.org for details. Another volunteer opportunity that sorely needs new recruits is school crossing guards.  Should this appeal to you, call Community Affairs at (718) 851–5601 and leave message for Sergeant Andreano.

As he’s done at several earlier council meetings, Commander Deddo introduced the NYPD Explorers, which includes individuals from Chinese, Pakistani, and Orthodox Jewish backgrounds, as well as other young men and women who testify to the program’s wide reach. Dedicated to breaking down barriers between young adults and the police, the program emphasizes higher education to its 14–20 year old recruits. Whether Explorer or not, however, anyone can attend its summer camp.  For more information, call (718) 851–5601

Instead of new graduates from the Police Academy going straight into Impact zones, they now spend several months getting on-the-job training with seasoned officers at a local precinct.  Six have joined the 66th Precinct; D.I. Deddo introduced and welcomed two of them.

According to Officer Michael Riomao, the precinct’s crime prevention officer, there have been no new Green Dot Money Card scams in the 66th Precinct, although elsewhere they are very much a problem. But there is always a new edition. The latest is a phone call from a stranger telling you a friend has been arrested and needs your help. If you put money on a Green Dot card, the caller says, you can bail him out. DON’T DO IT! Furthermore, be sure to report the phone call to 911 so the scam is documented and detectives can follow it up.

On the subject of phone scams, Captain Maria Ferina-Giacalone, the Commanding Officer of Transit District 30, which runs from downtown Manhattan to the Church Avenue F train stop, said you should ask the caller/scammer for their name, the company’s name and a call-back phone number. Be sure to write this information down and give it to 911 and any detectives who contact you later.

Then Captain Maria Ferina-Giacalone told the audience how to protect themselves on the subway.

“Crime is basically opportunity,” the captain said. “You try to control for it. When entering into a crowded train, have your briefcase and purse closed. Put it away. Secure your expensive devices. Hold them close to your body. Be mindful of your surroundings. If you sit by door, be careful.”

And finally, she said: “Look alert. And look at people.”

Named “Cop of the Month” for the second time in six months, plainclothes Officer Dave Shum, who speaks several Chinese languages, often works on Eighth Avenue. With increasing computer fluency, he’s been able to track down a robbery perp to the Bronx and arrest him. He also received a citation from the NY State Assembly for his work.

Join the Chinese New Year’s Celebration and 8th Avenue parade on Sunday, February 22  from 50th to 60th streets. Dancers, charming children singers, politicians and firecrackers will put you in New Year’s mode starting around 11 a.m. at the Grandstand. The firecrackers will explode around 12:30 p.m. And afterwards, you can go eat Chinese. The next 66th Precinct Community Council Meeting is February 19, 7:30 pm, at Community Board 12’s headquarters, located at 5910 13th Avenue. Call (718) 851–0800 for more information.