A proud Chief James Secreto told the officers assembled at the most recent Jamaica Rotary “Cop of the Month” honors that each and every one does a “tremendous job.”
“You make me look good and make my job easy,” he said.
In the 103rd Precinct, Deputy Inspector Charles McEvoy awarded the Edward Byrne Memorial “Cop of the Month” to Officers Alfred Davidson and Chet Wakie for two similar incidents within 24 hours of each other.
“We’re down over 30 percent in violence,” said McEvoy. “We’re on a phenomenal run.”
On Friday, October 1, Davidson and Sergeant Omar Colon were doing drug enforcement in an area of a previous shooting when they got a call of shots fired. They responded and apprehended a 22-year-old man who had a fully-loaded semi-automatic pistol.
The next day, Wakie and his partner responded to Merrick Boulevard and 109th Avenue, where, after a foot pursuit they apprehended a suspect with a full-automatic Smith and Wesson.
Both perps were indicted on criminal possession of a weapon charges.
In the 113th Precinct, Inspector Kristel Johnson recognized Officers Linnea Washington and Christian Pinard, who, on October 8, responded to a burglary in progress. They arrested one perp on scene; the other two fled, but were also apprehended. All three were positively identified by the victim. Charges include burglary, grand larceny, criminal possession of stolen property and criminal mischief.
Johnson, who noted that a call to police from a neighbor was pivotal in solving this crime, said that the precinct has seen their biggest increase this year in burglaries. “We can’t do this ourselves,” she said, urging people to call 9-1-1 for a crime in progress.
Police Officer Jeremy Orenstein, who addresses quality of life issues in the 102nd Precinct, was then honored by Executive Officer, Captain Martin Briffa, for his 142 graffiti arrests and 78 quality of life summonses, including for marijuana and drinking.
Sergeant John J. Egan of the 106th Precinct was then honored for his bravery in saving a woman and in apprehending a suspect.
It was in the early morning hours of Sunday, September 26 and Egan, who is anti-crime in the command, was driving home at Centerville Street and Eckford Avenue. He saw 40 or 50 people fighting at the location, with six or seven different pockets of fights. He calls 9-1-1 and requested backup; however, the fighting escalates, and at one point the suspects break the window of a car, pull a female passenger out, and begin beating her. Egan jumps in and saves her, but he is attacked by eight or 10 suspects.
When the fracas subsided, one perp was arrested – he was already on probation in Florida for heroin trafficking – and Egan suffered multiple injuries. Egan returned to work on Wednesday, October 13 and the suspect is being held on $10,000 bail.
“I’m really proud when I hear these stories,” said Secreto.
Jamaica Rotary president Joe Iaboni proudly informed the crowd that they raised $22,000 at the American Cancer Society’s annual breast cancer walk from Borough Hall.
The Rotary then donated $500 toward a scholarship fund by special guest Dr. Gerald Deas.
