By Bob Harris
Stephen Fischer, captain of the 107th Precinct in Fresh Meadows, told the attendees at the 107th Precinct Community Council February meeting that on a recent snowy and cold evening, a few of his men saturated an area near Main Street, where several burglaries had been committed and caught the burglar.
He explained that the command had plotted the location of the recent burglaries, saw there was a pattern, and then went after their man. Involved in the collar were: Sgt. Steve Savarino and police officers Dan Schindlar, Laura Salazar, Dave Ehrhart and Chris Caminiti. They were introduced at the meeting.
Capt. Fischer told the group that eight new recruits and two transfers will be joining the command, bringing the total strength to 215 members. He also said there are now more than 150 auxiliary police in the 137th Precinct. Many of them are from St. John's University, since the school gives course credit to students who take the 90 hours of auxiliary trainee and do patrol work.
The captain warned people not to donate money to any group that calls or sends a letter claiming to represent a law enforcement group seeking funds, because they are fakes. He explained that the precinct is working with neighboring precincts that border the 107th, to capture criminals and that everything is being computerized. All this is helping to bring down grand larceny auto theft and other crimes.
The next meetings of the 107th Precinct Community Council will be on March 28, April 25 and May 30. Jim Gallagher, who is president of the Fresh Meadows Homeowners Civic Association. is president of the council. All residents are invited. Call 454-4326 for more information.
Capt. Fischer referred to my Jan. 20 column in which I complained that, although crime is dropping, there are too many quality of life problems such as cars driving into and backing in and out of streets the wrong way, people blowing car horns loudly when they come to pick up someone, drivers ignoring stop signs and cars speeding down our residential streets. He commented about the need for people to have respect for each other.
The minutes of the Nov. 30 107th Precinct Community Council told about bike- etching events, a Christmas Party given by the precinct, the Explorer Scouts program in the precinct, and a Saturday adult computer class at the Junior High School 216, Beacon school. It was pointed out that we have the largest number of public and private schools in the city.
Last year the 107th Precinct Community council donated $250 to Scout Troop 138 in Fresh Meadows to purchase needed camping equipment. It also agreed to provide money to Pack 357 to continue a crime prevention program.
President Gallagher proposed that the Council provide $500 for a party to recognize the services of the auxiliary police. It was agreed to by all members present.
The officers of the 107th Precinct Community Council, who are all volunteers, are: James Gallagher, Jr., president; James Debonet, 1st vice president; Kenneth Cohen, corresponding secretary; Oscar Hoffer 2nd vice president; Stephen Geitheim, 3rd vice president; Carolann Foley, recording secretary; and Shirley Weinstein, treasurer.
GOOD AND BAD NEWS OF THE WEEK: The NYPD and the Queens DA recently showed off stacks of tens, twenties and fifty-dollar bills totaling $520,000, which was drug money.
It is good that this money was removed from circulation so it could not be used by the drug barons BUT it again raises the scary question of how much money was not intercepted. I fear all this money taken in by the drug pushers and worry what drug use and selling is doing to our society.
While I applaud this seizure, I again comment that drugs are probably the cause of most of our crimes. If only “they” would put more money into education, and the services which go with it, we could cut down the drug/crime problem.
