Tomorrow: 61st Precinct Council Meets – Commanding Officer To Say Goodbye, Replacement To Say Hello

The 61st Precinct Community Council Meeting will meet at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow, July 9, at YDE School, 2533 Coney Island Avenue.

The meeting will be the last for Captain John Chell, who took command of the precinct in 2012. While still new in his post, he led the community’s police response during and after Superstorm Sandy and played host to Coney Island’s 60th Precinct for several months as they rebuilt their flooded stationhouse. Chell has been reassigned to Brooklyn North’s 79th Precinct, which patrols Bed-Stuy.

It will be the first meeting for the 61st Precinct’s new commanding officer, Deputy Inspector Carlos Valdez, who has served on the force for approximately a quarter-century. He’s already familiar with the area, having most recently served at PSA 1, which patrols public housing developments within the 60th, 61st, 63rd and 69th Precincts.

The Community Council is comprised of concerned residents and top brass from the 61st Precinct, and offers neighbors an opportunity to ask questions and express concerns about crime and safety issues in the area. The monthly meetings are attended by the commanding officer of the precinct, who will present a report on incidents and trends in the neighborhood, and speak face-to-face with neighbors about specific concerns.

For further information, or if you have questions or comments concerning Community Affairs, call (718) 627-6847.