Though Deputy Inspector Henry Sautner is leaving his command post at the 102nd Precinct for a higher position within the NYPD, he expressed confidence in his successor at the Richmond Hill command, Deputy Inspector Deodat Urprasad.
“This has been one of the most rewarding and challenging experiences I’ve ever had,” Sautner said during the 102nd Precinct’s Community Council meeting at the Richmond Hill Library Tuesday night. “It was an honor to work here in this community, but it is being left in good hands.”
Urprasad will be taking over the command in the precinct that covers Kew Gardens, Richmond Hill, Woodhaven, and the northern part of Ozone Park. He has been on the job for 24 years working in Brooklyn and the Bronx. This will be his first position in Queens, but he is no stranger to the borough as he grew up here.
“I have dealt with a lot of different communities,” Urprasad said. “You learn to adapt and do the job professionally with a high level of standards. I like to stop the problem before it becomes a problem.”
Sautner, who took over the command in October 2012, has moved on to become the executive officer of fugitive enforcement in the Detectives Division of the NYPD. Last year he was able to bring crime down in the precinct about 10 percent and community complaints of officers about 34 percent.
He credited this to the working relationship the precinct has with the community and said that even though he may have a different style of commanding than Urprasad, this doesn’t mean the new deputy inspector won’t have success.
Urprasad thanked Sautner for the kind words, as he officially introduced him to the community for the first time, and said he was excited for the job.
“I always have an open line of communication,” Urprasad said. “I will give 110 percent to serve the communities of the 102.”
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