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ALSO COVERING AUBURNDALE, COLLEGE POINT, DOUGLASTON, GLEN OAKS, FLORAL PARK
• LITTLE NECK LEDGER
• WHITESTONE TIMES
Whitestone sounds alarm over noise
Urges police commissioner at civic meeting to take action against loud cars near and far
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
Police Commissioner
James O’Neill received
a warm reception from
Whitestone residents last
week, but also myriad
complaints about noise in
the area.
Community members were
joined by NYPD officials and
City Councilman Paul Vallone
on April 17 at the Holy Cross
Greek Orthodox Church,
located at 11-05 150th St, where
O’Neill encouraged everyone
to continue working with
their local precinct to tackle
issues in the neighborhood.
Residents brought forth
their frustration of late night
loud thumping music that can
be heard from certain points
in Whitestone expanding into
College Point and parts of
northern Flushing.
“The question is, these
cars are not being confiscated.
From what I’m understanding
of it is that the parties are
being broken up. They get
into their cars with 400 watt
speakers and they move to
different location and set up
again so it’s a game of cat
and mouse,” said Alfredo
Centola. “Is there anything
that can be done to get these
cars impounded?”
According to O’Neill,
Police Commissioner James O’Neill (at right) addresses residents at the We Love Whitestone Civic
Association meeting on April 17. Photo by Carlotta Mohamed/QNS
the NYPD does have sound
meters and they go out to
conduct inspections.
“They’re running their
restaurants, running their
nightclubs, they’re trying
to make money. Most of
them are trying to be good
neighbors, some of them not
so much,” said O’Neill. “We
do our best to strike that
balance, we’re not necessarily
looking to close down
businesses. We want people
to have vibrant businesses
and communities.”
Deputy Inspector Keith
Shine, commander of the
109th Precinct, said the
loud music mutates on a
daily basis, sometimes from
the iron triangle to nearby
Citi Field, parking lots and
Flushing Meadows Park.
“This originally started
with the boats down at the
water. A lot of the time the
residents of Whitestone are
hearing the noise emanating
from a distance,” said Shine.
“That is part of the problem
and we’re trying to alleviate
it. We have to actually track it
down from where it’s coming
from and take action.”
O’Neill added that there
are over 30 boats in the Harbor
Unit to address the issue and
vehicles can be confiscated if
their location is known.
“If it’s coming from
another precinct that doesn’t
stop us from having to do our
job,” said O’Neill. “We do have
borough-wide units. We have
the strategic response group
working all day long, and if it’s
coming from across the water,
we have a lot of great cops in
the borough of the Bronx.”
Another pressing issue
brought to the forefront
included the opening of
an all male transitional
homeless shelter in College
Point expected to house 200
men and how the NYPD will
ensure public safety.
“We know it’s a concern.
If they come and there are
no issues and they’re great
neighbors…that’s our best
hope,” said Shine. “But if
there are any changes or
impact in the community, as
always we’ll address it and
monitor it very closely.”
O’Neill reassured
residents that they will be
closely involved with the
shelter providing additional
resources to keep the
community safe.
“If Keith needs help
when that shelter opens up,
we’ll send more units over,”
said Shine. “The plan is to
make sure as it opens up
there’s enough resources
inside the shelter and then
we have enough resources in
the precinct to make sure to
keep the people in the
neighborhood safe.”
According to the
commissioner, Patrol
Borough Queens North
will be receiving 32 new
NYPD graduates and the
109th Precinct will receive
additional recruits in June.
Vol. 85 No. 17 52 total pages
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