New Commanding Officer at 106th Precinct

The torch – and the pin – was passed to a new leader at the 106th Precinct.
At its monthly meeting, a new Commanding Officer (CO) was introduced at the 106th Precinct in Ozone Park on Wednesday, November 10.
Deputy Inspector, and outgoing CO, Joseph Courtesis addressed those gathered at the meeting for the last time. He said that while the move is good for his career, he’s leaving with a heavy heart.
He spent more than three years at the 106th Precinct and said that he made some tremendous friends, not only at the stationhouse, but also in the community at large.
“This is my community and I tried to handle all complaints, big and small, with as much attention as possible. The effort was always there,” said Courtesis, who is moving on to the 105th Precinct in Queens Village. “This is a good move career wise, but it is bittersweet because I have to actually move on.”
The new CO, Captain Thomas Pascale, spent some time in 106 as a sergeant from 2000 through 2004, and feels that since he knows many people at the precinct his transition will be a smooth one.
“I feel like I got a great deal on a used car,” said Pascale, who received the CO’s pin from Courtesis. “A lot of the same people in key positions are still here and that will help with the learning curve.”
The captain then introduced the precinct’s Cop of the Month, Officer Kevin Desmoreau. At 9:30 p.m. on October 20, Desmoreau was performing anti-crime patrol on Sutter Avenue when he saw a suspicious male following two females.
After stopping the suspect, Desmoreau frisked him and found a firearm. A struggle and foot pursuit followed, and ended with the Officer apprehending the suspect.
“Fantastic work,” said Pascale. “His work shows the phenomenal work that’s being done out there by officers such as himself.”
Upon further investigation, it was found that the suspect had a previous firearm charge against him. The Precinct will now track him to make sure he’s not involved with these types of illegal activities.
At the end of the meeting, Community Board 10 chair Betty Braton announced an outreach event being held at Aqueduct Racetrack on Friday, November 19. The Subcontractor Outreach Event for Minority, Women and Locally-Owned Business Enterprises (M/W/LBEs) will feature representatives from Resorts World New York and Tutor Perini Corp. They will provide substantial contractual opportunities to any interested M/W/LBEs who specialize in the building construction industry.
Those interested in attending should R.S.V.P. by Wednesday, November 17 at www.spectrumpcc.com/RWNYOutreach/rsvp.html.