The 70th Precinct Announces New Executive Officer, Community Policing And More At Community Council Meeting
The 70th Precinct Community Council held its first meeting following the summer break on Wednesday, September 30 at St. Paul’s Church, where Captain Richard DiBlasio introduced the new Executive Officer, honored officers for good arrests, and answered questions from the community about crime in the area.
DiBlasio started off the meeting by thanking community organizations for helping with street fairs and other events that took place over the summer. He also ensured the community that the precinct is ready for the potentially serious weather that could hit the area this weekend due to Hurricane Joaquin.
DiBlasio also recognized that multiple shootings that have taken place over the last few months, most recently one on Church Avenue in September, and they tend get a lot of publicity, but he emphasized that overall, crime in the area is down 9 percent over last year.
Regarding the recent Church Avenue shooting, DiBlasio said that the precinct was working on it and that the availability of surveillance video has been essential to this case and many others that the precinct has dealt with recently. He encouraged residents and businesses alike to invest in surveillance systems.
DiBlasio also mentioned the new department-wide neighborhood policing approach recently announced by Police Commissioner Bill Bratton, which, once implemented, will have certain officers assigned to certain sections of the precinct and will allow community members to directly contact the officers that patrol their area. It is unclear when the program will be launched in the 70th precinct, but DiBlasio assured everyone that the they would get the word out once they knew.
DiBlasio then introduced the new executive officer for the precinct, Captain James King. King comes to the 70th from the 63rd Precinct and made the transition at the end of June, replacing Anthony Sanseverino who moved to the 62nd. “It made my day to transfer to the 7-0,” said King. “It’s a great community.”
DiBlasio went on to recognize a group of officers for their efforts in removing firearms from the street. One gun was confiscated after being found hidden inside a bible during a traffic stop, while a 357 Magnum was obtained while chasing a man suspected of stealing a bike.
Sgt. Grant was also recognized for her quick actions over Labor Day weekend after observing a man shooting a gun into the air near Parade Place and Woodruff Avenue. Grant chased the suspect into an apartment building, but was able to secure a warrant using video surveillance and arrested the man, who was also carrying a 357 Magnum.
Several residents of East 23rd Street between Ditmas and Newkirk avenues asked the Captain about what was being done to reduce violence in the area. “I feel like there’s constant crime and drug activity,” said one man.
DiBlasio assured the community that the precinct has officers stationed along those blocks at all times and that they’ve arrested many members of a prominent crew in the area.
Melissa Lashley, a program supervisor at CAMBA, thanked the officers for addressing their concerns about homeless people who hang out around the organization’s headquarters and drug users that congregate in the building’s stairwells but worried about the future. “We appreciate your help in securing the building, but when you leave after an initial crisis, the crime comes back.”
The next meeting of the 70th Precinct Community Council will be held on Wednesday, October 28 at 7:30 pm.