By John Tozzi
Deputy Inspector Scott Hanover joined the precinct on Jan. 3, fresh from running the NYPD's communications unit, which handles 911 calls and dispatches. Capt. Thomas Pilkington, the former commanding officer, was assigned to command the 110th Precinct in Corona and Elmhurst.Hanover said he requested a field assignment and he felt “fantastic about coming back to patrol and working in the field again.”Although the lifelong Queens resident is taking a precinct command post for the first time, he said he has extensive experience in the field. Hanover served as a patrol officer in Lower Manhattan; as a sergeant in the 114th Precinct covering Astoria and Jackson Heights and in the 109th Precinct which stretches from College Point to Bay Terrace, and as a captain in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, before joining the communications section, where he was commanding officer for four years.Hanover now heads one of the lowest crime areas of the city, the 111th Precinct covering Bayside, Douglaston, Little Neck, Auburndale, Hollis Hills and Fresh Meadows. But he is not taking anything for granted.”Police can't do it alone and the community can't do it alone,” he said. He said he hopes to continue the partnership with civilian leaders and create a “constant flow of information back and forth” to keep crime rates down.A key part of forging that partnership, Hanover said, is reaching out to the precinct's growing immigrant populations, particularly people who do not speak English.”Don't be afraid to approach an officer because there might be a language barrier,” he said. “We will find a way to communicate.”Hanover, who has two adopted children from Korea as well as a biological daughter, said he is keenly aware of the need for police to maintain relationships with different ethnic communities in the borough.”That's very important, to reach out to people who don't speak English,” he said.To that end, the department now has access to a “language line” service, which offers immediate access to translators speaking 145 different languages. Officers can patch into the service, based in California, from a 911 call or a police-issue cell phone, and find a translator for the appropriate language.Reach reporter John Tozzi by e-mail at news@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300 Ext. 188.
