Even as a kid, Lieutenant Christopher Charles knew he was destined for law enforcement.
“I wanted to be a pilot first. Then at 16, I got an application to be a state trooper, but I was too young,” he said.
Now, at only 46, Charles will become Special Operations Lieutenant for the 106th Precinct when Lieutenant Joseph Salvato retires next week.
This means Charles will oversee all the specialty units within the command. These include the domestic violence unit, the plainclothes anti-crime unit, the school unit and the conditions unit – which checks out quality-of-life complaints, targets crime spikes and handles noise enforcement.
“There are several teams, and I will be able to interact with those teams,” Charles said. “I know the precinct pretty well. Now I’ll be able to work with the entire precinct.”
He is the first in his family to go into law enforcement and has been with the force for 19 years.
The Suffolk County resident and married father of two sons (one of whom is considering law enforcement as well) joined the 106th Precinct, which serves Ozone Park, South Ozone Park, Richmond Hill and Howard Beach, in January 2007, first working midnights.
Later, he said, he “inherited” Salvato’s day tour.
Now, Charles said, he is looking forward to his new role in the command.
“There are always excitements and concerns with a new position. I am looking forward to new challenges and hopefully I can bring new ideas to the job.”
