Elizabeth Delacruz, president of the 104th Precinct Civilian Observation Patrol (104COP), made it clear that recruitment efforts will remain top priority during the patrol’s general membership meeting inside Christ the King High School on Thursday, Jan. 12.
The organization’s first meeting of the new year welcomed some existing and potential members, along with Community Affairs Officers Michael Berish and Dilsia Bonilla from the 104th Precinct.
“The biggest issue right now in the command is we have a pretty large spike in robberies taking place along Cypress Avenue [in Ridgewood],” Officer Berish said.
The problem areas experiencing this increase in robberies share a border with the 83rd Precinct, where a number of bars are located and host patrons from 7 p.m. to 4 a.m. the next day, he added.
The time range in which officers patrol those problem areas were changed to meet the conditions’ needs, Berish said. The addition of nine new officers to the precinct and about six to seven additional patrol cars is expected to help address the robbery issue, Bonilla added.
A concern over smoke shops was also shared, as more have popped up across the city. Officers reassured the group that the precinct is making efforts to ward off illegal activity in shop locations frequently.
Later in the meeting, Vjola Isufaj, chief of staff for Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar, informed members of a mammogram screening event returning to the assemblywoman’s office on Monday, Jan. 30. The assemblywoman remains in Albany throughout the month.
Delacruz then thanked those in attendance and shared the purchase of six additional radios for patrols, thanks to a $5,000 grant given to the organization by Senator Joe Addabbo’s office.
The organization also received a $1,000 grant from the Federazione Italo-Americana of Brooklyn and Queens.
Delacruz encouraged those living in the confines of the 104th Precinct to join and asked for anyone with experience in web design, media or recruitment to contact her.
