Police Rep Offers Tips On Avoiding Crime
Glendale residents filed into St. Pancras Pfeifer Hall last Thursday, Dec. 4, for the Glendale Property Owners Association (GPOA) meeting, where special guests took the floor to address the concerns of the community and its people.
One of the guest speakers- P.O. Charles Sadler, the 104th Precinct’s auxiliary coordinator-discussed community safety among other topics concerning Glendale. One way for the community to protect itself is to be aware of scams, Sadler said.
“No one is going to call you from the Police Department asking you to donate money,” Sadler stated.
Phone scams are very popular with criminals. The scammer will call claiming they are from the police department or another reputable organization asking for money for donations. They ask that money be put onto a prepaid Green Dot card and sent to them.
The elderly are the scam artists’ main targets, Sadler said, “because they’re a little bit more trusting.”
With the holiday season in full swing, Officer Sadler gave some tips on how to be safe during this time of year. The first tip he gave was, “don’t leave your car idling outside,” while you’re either warming it up or moving packages to and from the trunk.
A car that is running and just sitting there is inviting a criminal to jump behind the wheel and drive off with the car, he noted.
Another tip Sadler offered was for residents to always be mindful of your money and belongings. He added that residents should keep bags and purses close to your body while out shopping; keep wallets in front pockets instead of in the back pockets; and avoid leaving shopping bags right in their vehicles where criminals can see them and single them out as easy targets.
All of these tips are helpful in stopping crimes of opportunity, Sadler said. He added that “crimes of opportunity are the biggest crime that happen in this precinct.”
“If you limit the opportunity, it’s not going to happen,” he said.
These tips and many others have been working because the crime rates have dropped this year compared to 2013 in the 104th precinct. Officer Sadler announced the precinct is “down six percent in crime overall in the precinct.”
According to the NYPD CompStat report covering the week of Nov. 24-30, there have been 95 less crimes this year compared to last year at the same point in time. An impressive decrease in crime rates.
The 104th Precinct is hoping to see this downward trend in crime rates continue in coming years with the inclusion of new technology for cops in the area to use.
One new technology that is coming out is ShotSpotter. This piece of equipment that will be available in the 104th precinct allows cops to detect gunshots from within a five mile radius. Officers are also going to be able to check and send out emails from anywhere they are, which will allow the officers to be in better contact with one another and with the community.
Sadler stressed that communication with the people of the community is of the utmost importance and that the Glendale Civilian Observation Patrol (104COP/GCOP) is a very important part of this neighborhood.” The 104COP helps officers patrol the streets and report crimes and emergencies to the proper authorities. These volunteers allow the police department to better know the beat of the community and what is actually happening in the area.
State Sen. Joseph Addabbo was also in attendance and commended the 104th precinct for their hard work that they do all year.
Other news
Addabbo also spoke to attendees about the recent sale of Atlas Terminals to the production company Broadway Stages. Addabbo told those in attendance,
“I’m not surprised Broadway Stages bought in Glendale,” because according to him, “Queens is the place to be, certainly filming-wise.”
Broadway Stages is one of New York’s largest full-service television, film and music production facilities. The $19 million sale of this 500,000 sq. ft. lot of land will hopefully lead to the creation of more jobs and opportunities for the residents of Glendale, and more revenue for the city and state.
The GPOA also elected officers for the association. All officers and board members remained the same except for one position. Michelle Cook-Lopez will be the new financial secretary for the association; Cook-Lopez took this position after the former financial secretary, Frieda Koenig retired.
The installation of new and reelected members will take place in January.
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The next Glendale Property Owners Association meeting is scheduled to take place on Monday, Jan. 8, 2015, at 7:30 p.m. at St. Pancras Pfeifer Hall, located off the corner of Myrtle Avenue and 68th Street.
