104th Precinct Looks To Curb Driveway Blockers
Parking issues near Mafera Park were on the minds of nearby residents at the joint meeting of the 104th Precinct Community Council andthe Farmers Oval Civic Association (FOCA) last Thursday, Mar. 29 at Ridgewood Baptist Church.
The precinct is down slightly in crime over the past week and the past year, according to Capt. Michael Cody, the precinct’s commanding officer. Grand larcenies, burglaries and auto thefts have all decreased.
However, felony assaults have risen, according to the commander, with domestic assaults the cause of the rise.
Robberies are also up this year, with 63 in 2012 compared to 37 at this point last year. Cody claimed that the warm winter has brought out more criminals, and added that thefts of smartphones and tablets have been on the rise.
However, the precinct has made 30 robbery arrests in 2012 so far, “in no small part due to the efforts of the men and women in the precinct,” according to Cody.
“We have a plan in place to address robberies,” Cody told the crowd, adding that the precinct is focusing on the border between the 104th and the neighboring 83rd Precinct, and is working in conjunction with the adjacent command.
“We’re trying to increase our presence in the area,” he added, with extra officers being assigned from Patrol Borough Queens North in the western corner of the precinct.
Playground parking problems
Residents asked the precinct to crack down on parking problems near Mafera Park, as members of local recreational leagues have allegedly been double-parking, parking on sidewalks and blocking driveways.
“There’s no respect for the neighbors,” said one resident. “If you don’t give these people tickets, they are just going to keep on doing it.”
“I’ll ask officers to step up the enforcement,” Cody told the crowd, adding later that traffic officers do stop by on occasion to enforce parking laws even though they are not under Cody’s command.
Mike Hetzer, the precinct council’s president, added that parking violations may factor into future Parks Department permit applications by area leagues.
“That may be grounds for denying permits for that organization,” he claimed.
Other news
Anne Marie Dolphin of Assem- blyman Mike Miller’s office asked Cody about safety near the two L train stops the precinct covers, at Halsey Street and at Myrtle-Wyckoff Avenues.
Cody admitted that the Halsey Street stop is “one of the toughest stations” for the command to cover. The precinct is regularly in contact with Transit District 33, which covers the L and M train lines, and Cody has asked the district’s commander, Capt. Henry Sautner, to come to the next 104th Precinct Council meeting.
Cody also stated that the precinct will continue to crack down on motorized scooters in the area, to ensure that they follow the rules of the road.
Bike enforcement is part of the precinct’s robbery strategy, he stated, as thieves often use bikes as getaway vehicles.
Hetzer announced that legislation has been introduced that would require the Department of Transportation to post street signs pointing drivers to police precincts.
“I can’t comment on any pending legislation either way,” said Cody, “but people may want to know where the police are.”
Cops of the Month
Police Officers Anthony Rodriguez and Michael Varecka were honored as the 104th Precinct Cops of the Month for making several notable robbery collars over the past month.
Of 17 robberies in the 104th Precinct over the past month, the duo made four arrests.
On Mar. 13, the officers conducted an investigation into a cellphone robbery on Myrtle and St. Nicholas avenues in Ridgewood. Later that same day, they responded to a second robbery from the same person and then used the Find my iPhone application installed on a stolen iPhone to find the man responsible for the theft.
For their work, the two officers received Cop of the Month award plaques, donated by the Times Newsweekly. Cody also lauded the work of their supervisor. Sgt. Ted Jeremenko.
Cody and P.O. Thomas Bell of the precinct’s Community Affairs Unit urged iPhone owners to activate the Find my iPhone application.
The Farmers Oval Civic Association regularly meets at 7:30 p.m. on the fourth Thursday of the month at the Ridgewood Baptist Church, located at 64-13 Catalpa Ave.
