106th Commanding Officer promoted to Deputy Inspector

He is no longer Captain Courtesis, but rather Deputy Inspector Joseph G. Courtesis.
The Commanding Officer of the 106th Precinct, which includes Howard Beach, Lindenwood and Ozone Park, grew up in Queens Village and attended Martin Van Buren High School, followed by Queensborough Community College and Nassau Community College. He was the first in his family to go to the Police Academy, graduating in 1993.
Sixteen years later, Courtesis, 39, achieved the rank of Deputy Inspector, at a promotion ceremony at One Police Plaza on Friday, August 28.
His wife Lori and daughters Jackie, 9, and Gina, 6, as well as friends and colleagues, looked on proudly.
Courtesis began his police career in the 83rd Precinct in Bushwick, Brooklyn, where he patrolled a beat for two years; thereafter, he was assigned to the anti-crime unit and the precinct’s Detective Squad.
“The 83rd and 106th [Precincts] are two of my favorite commands,” Courtesis told The Courier. “It has to do a lot with the communities and the camaraderie of the unit.”
He attained the rank of Sergeant in 1998, and was then transferred to Housing, PSA 3, also in Brooklyn. After one year, he joined the Mobile Tactical Unit, patrolling all of Brooklyn for quality-of-life issues.
It was then that Courtesis took the Lieutenant exam, which he scored well on, but had to wait for his promotion. In the interim, he worked at One Police Plaza in the Employee Management Division.
After making Lieutenant, he came to Queens, where he was assigned to the 105th Precinct in Queens Village.
Later, he was transferred to the Borough Investigation Unit, where he was named a Shooting Team Leader, handling more than 50 cases of police-involved shootings.
He made Captain, and joined the 106th Precinct in 2004 as Executive Officer; after two years, he moved to the 113th Precinct, also as Executive Officer, but in 2007, Courtesis was back at the 106th, this time as Commanding Officer.
And now, he is Deputy Inspector.
His biggest challenge, he said, is dealing with quality of life issues, especially noise complaints.
“It’s a very diverse command, and sometimes being aggressive with noise complaints is difficult,” he said. “We try to appease everybody.” Courtesis is a strong believer in cultivating intelligence within the command, and feels that to know the bad guy is to thwart him.
In fact, the day The Courier sat down with Courtesis, he was preparing to hold a meeting to address a rash of burglaries in Ozone Park.
“Intelligence is key,” he noted. “If you know who the bad guys are, you shorten your investigation.”
Courtesis also feels that having officers in the neighborhoods and getting to know the people is important.
Perhaps his approach is why, year-to-date, the 106th Precinct has seen a decrease of 11 percent on overall crimes – meaning 100 fewer this year than last. Even within the last 28 days, the command is down 20 percent.
And over eight years, crime is down 33 percent.
“We’re moving in the right direction,” he said.
Additionally, under Courtesis, the 106th Precinct Explorers Program, which might have otherwise gone by the wayside, has flourished. The kids involved in this program – one of the largest in the city, they say – assist in graffiti removal, participate in community events, and even do Color Guard.
Community Affairs Officer Brenda Bratcher is in charge of the Explorers, and “gives 110 percent,” according to fellow Community Affairs Officer Kenneth Zorn.
The 106th Precinct Community Council has even become stronger and more diversified, reflecting the demographic served by the command.
Both Courtesis and Zorn did emphasize that residents with complaints need not wait for a Community Council meeting, but rather, should call 3-1-1 or Community Affairs, at 718-845-2228, immediately.
“Make us aware so we can start working on it immediately,” said Zorn.
Courtesis is committed to “working on it,” he said, as his goals for the precinct remain the same as when he first joined the 106th: “Reduce crime, reduce accidents and improve the quality of life.”