Only a month ago, President Wendy Bowne had invited recently-promoted Deputy Inspector Charles McEvoy of the 102nd Precinct to be the guest speaker at the Richmond Hill Block Association..
However, by Wednesday, September 30, the night of the meeting, McEvoy had been reassigned to the 103rd Precinct, so everyone in attendance got a chance to meet Captain Armando DeLeon, new Commanding Officer of the 102.
“The 102nd Precinct will hold a special place in my heart,” said McEvoy. “The people I met in the community will remain my friends for the rest of my life.”
McEvoy, who joined the Precinct in January of 2008, went on to credit the hard work of the men and women of the 102, as well as that of community organizations such as the RHBA, for the 12 percent drop in overall crime year-to-date.
“Quality of life is continuing to improve,” he said, though the 102 is experiencing a slight uptick in felony assaults and burglaries.
“Everyone in the command is aware of the burglary spike and it’s ‘all hands-on,’” said McEvoy.
He said he was “honored” by the move to the 103, and said it was a “good step in the right direction,” before adding, “You’re in fabulous hands with Captain DeLeon.”
He then directed any policing questions to the new Commanding Officer before saying, “Thank you for your support from the bottom of my heart. I’m certainly going to miss everyone.”
DeLeon then took the floor.
A Brooklyn cop his entire career, DeLeon said that, “Coming to Queens is the best move I ever made. In under two years, I’ve been assigned to lead a precinct, and when you get a precinct, you get a community.”
Vowing to “work extremely hard,” DeLeon, a graduate of Franklin K. Lane High School, added that he has a “personal stake in this community.”
