104COP Prez Recounts Successful Operations
A missing girl was found in a park and traffic diverted away from a fire in Ridgewood through the 104th Precinct Civilian Observation Patrol’s (104COP) efforts, the organization’s president reported at its May 8 meeting in Glendale.
Frank Kotnik told attendees at St. Pancras Pfeifer Hall the tale of the recent rescue. Recently, he received a call about a missing girl inside the precinct’s confines.
Kotnik said he was leaving for the hardware store when he heard his radio going on about a missing girl. He went to the park where she was last seen and he found a younger girl next an abandoned scooter.
Kotnik got a description of the lost girl from her and searched the nearby vicinity until he came across 104th Precinct officers. In the middle of explaining the situation, the officer pointed behind Kotnik to the missing girl.
Thanks to the combined efforts of 104COP and the 104th Precinct, he noted, the missing girl was found within an hour of the first alert.
In another instance, Kotnik received a distress call about the Apr. 24 fire on Fresh Pond Road and 68th Street.
Kotnik sent a notice to 104COP officers who immobilized to divert traffic away from Fresh Pond Road by blocking off Cypress Hills Street, which would have fed vehicles right into the fire causing a chaotic traffic jam.
“Monitor those radios,” he stated.
He praised the 104COP officers for the oversight of the Good Friday events in April, saying they did an “outstanding” job directing traffic and ensuring safety.
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Capt. Timothy Brown, the 104th Precinct executive officer, provided 104COP members with precinct maps to give them a better understanding of its section layout. He thanked the group for their work especially in the missing persons department.
Brown said, “You guys can do your job without me, I can’t do my job without you.” He went on to claim the 104COP is like no other in the city.
The executive officer encouraged all volunteers to be a part of his daily roll call at the precinct to get 104COP even more involved and introduced to his staff.
Also, Brown asked for donations of juice boxes and candy from the room in an effort to ease tensions and shyness when kids are touring the precinct. Donations can be delivered to the 104th Precinct at 64-02 Catalpa Ave. in Ridgewood.
The volunteer patrol will be voting in June on several positions including president, first vice president, second vice president, treasurer, sergeant-at-arms, secretary, and directors. Nominees must be an active 104COP member.
The next 104th Precinct Civilian Observation Patrol meeting is scheduled to take place on Thursday, June 19, at 8 p.m. at St. Pancras Pfeifer Hall, located at the corner of Myrtle Avenue and 80th Street in Glendale. For more information, visit www.104cop.org or call 1-718- 497-1500.
