Flushing’s 109th Precinct celebrates community wins, honors longtime council president

The 109th Precinct and its Community Council held its annual end-of-year barbecue on Wednesday, June 25, drawing a large crowd of community members, NYPD officers and local elected officials to celebrate another year of public safety efforts in northeast Queens.

The outdoor event, held in partnership with the NYPD, featured presentations recognizing officers and community members for their service. Inspector Kevin Coleman, commanding officer of the 109th Precinct, acknowledged several officers for outstanding contributions to the precinct’s operations. Detective Huang received a community award, and both Detective Cutaia and Deputy Inspector Castro were recognized for their continued support of the Community Council.

Detective Huang receives a community award at the 109th Precinct’s summer celebration.

Council Member Sandra Ung presents a proclamation to longtime Community Council President Jerry Filippidis. Photo courtesy of the office of CM Ung

Council Member Sandra Ung presented a City Council Proclamation to Jerry Filippidis, who joined the council in 2008 and has served as its president since 2017. Filippidis announced earlier this year that he would be stepping down from the role. In addition, longtime volunteer Kris Ram was honored for more than 20 years of service to the precinct and its community programs.

Inspector Kevin Coleman speaks to attendees during the 109th Precinct’s annual barbecue in Flushing.

State Senator John Liu and Assembly Member Ed Braunstein also attended the event, which took place amid high temperatures and strong community turnout. The barbecue was sponsored by the Sky View Parc Homeowners Association.

The event followed a recent announcement that the 109th Precinct received the 2024 Unit Citation at the NYPD’s Medal Day ceremony. The citation is awarded to NYPD commands for outstanding accomplishments. According to the department, the 109th Precinct recorded year-over-year reductions in crime compared to both 2023 and 2022.

The 109th Precinct covers neighborhoods including Flushing, Whitestone, College Point, Auburndale, and Bay Terrace. The Community Council meets on the first Wednesday of each month and will resume meetings in September. The next public engagement event will take place on Monday, August 5, as part of National Night Out Against Crime, a citywide initiative promoting community-police partnerships.