Residents Hail 108th Pct. Efforts
Residents will sleep easier after six men were arrested last month for drag racing in Maspeth, the 108th Precinct’s commander reported during the 108th Precinct Community Council Meeting last Tuesday, Apr. 29, at Sunnyside Community Services.
According to Capt. Brian Hennessy, spectators and racers met every weekend during overnight hours for a drag racing event down Laurel Hill Boulevard between 48th and 58th streets, weaving in and out of traffic.
Lt. Jon Cermeli, the 108th Precinct’s special operations coordinator, ran the operation and said in addition to the arrests, 55 summons were issued as spectating is considered a crime. Five of six vehicles were taken, some worth $45,000, he explained.
Undercover officers played spectator to identify racers who were later cut off by NYPD diesel trucks placed at 48th and 58th streets. Some racers abandoned their vehicles and ran into the cemetery once they realized the 108th Precinct was involved.
Since the bust, the area has been quiet, according to Cermeli.
“A lot of the perpetrators that were arrested said that was the first time they’d seen enforcement done anywhere like that and that they weren’t going to risk it at this point,” he told residents. “It’s just way too much risk to lose their vehicles.”
Carol Terrano, a Board 2 member and local resident, praised the precinct and its commander for the operation, noting she and other residents have been suffering from the racing noise and danger for years.
“[Captain] Hennessey is one of the best things that happened to us,” she said. “We made one complaint and bang, every thing was taken care of.”
Cop of the Month
P.O. Felix Cortez received the Cop of the Month award for arresting a suspect involved in a string of robberies in the area targeting women’s pocketbooks left in their vehicles.
On Apr. 20, Hennessy stated, Officer Cortez and his team planted a decoy car with a pocketbook filled with credit cars and waited for the suspect who broke into a different vehicle. Cortez apprehended the man and made the arrest.
Officer Cortez spoke briefly on the arrest thanking everyone at the meeting and his fellow officers and said, “That’s our job. That’s what we do.”
The commander and Diane Ballek, 108th Precinct Community Council president, presented Cortez with a plaque donated by the Times Newsweekly .
Other news
Hennessy warned Sunnyside is not immune to the “Green Dot” scam and it is still at large in Queens.
Scammers target seniors and immigrants masquerading as the IRS or Immigration Naturalization Service (INS) claiming the victims owe back taxes or fines. They are then ordered to purchase a Green Dot Card at a local 7-11, CVS or Walgreens, fill it with anywhere from a couple of hundred dollars to $5,000 and give the suspects the serial number in order to avoid further consequences.
Once the serial number is released, the money is gone.
P.O. Eli Gaini of the 108th Precinct Crime Prevention Unit, urged residents to “just hang up” if they receive such a call. He went on to say small businesses are being targeted as well when scammers pose as the utility company threatening a utility shutdown if they do not pay fines.
His colleague, P.O. Robert Semler, also warned that more burglaries and robberies tend to happen during warmer weather. Generally, the crooks are looking for small electronic devices.
“Be aware of your surroundings,” he said. Also, in the face of a mugging with weapons or force, “Do not fight them … no money is worth a life.”
Crime in the 108th Precinct is down one percent overall in April compared to last year, according to the 108th Precinct’s community newsletter. Felony assaults are up 66.7 percent from last year and grand larceny is up 15 percent.
For the week of Apr. 21-27, overall crime was down 21.7 percent.
The next 108th Precinct Community Council meeting is scheduled to take place on Tuesday night, May 27, at 7 p.m. at Sunnyside Community Services, located at 43- 31 39th St. For more information, call the 108th Precinct Community Affairs Unit at 1-718-784-5141.
