BRONX TIMES REPORTER, J BTR ULY 2-8, 2021 43
GEORGE HAVRANEK
“More 311 and 911 complaints
mean more police…” is a common
declaration heard throughout
our community. This statement
infers that volume of
documented complaints stringently
determines the number
of police personnel assigned to
a specifi c area.
A logical-analogous view at
this common declaration:
Many years ago, fi re alarm
pull boxes were on street corners.
The aforementioned statement
suggests the frequency
a fi re alarm was engaged dictated
the number of fi refi ghters
assigned to a given location.
Simply stated, more alarms
brought more fi refi ghters. This
rudimentary interpretation
fails to account for the type,
scope and disposition of alarmgenerated
events.
It is reasonable to surmise
communities with high call volumes
and large numbers of documented
serious events require
and receive more services than
similar volume areas with large
amounts of mild or benign incidences.
The type, scope and disposition
of incidents are critical
variables in the formula used to
determine manpower in given
areas. These critical variables
must be clearly defi ned; failure
to do so elicits unrealistic public
perceptions.
Creation of linear cause and
effect relationships between
number of calls and number
of law enforcement personnel
moves the burden away from
the legislators/policy makers
and onto the community. Placing
this burden squarely on
the shoulders of a community
is at worst devious and at best
illusory. Stating “The more 311
and 911 calls made means more
police” is a rhetorical, misleading
half-truth that skews public
perception and is detrimental
to community welfare.
The sentiments among residents
in low-density communities
strongly suggest quality
of life is on a rapid downward
spiral. Nuisance complaints
that were formerly addressed
promptly by NYPD have become
low priority 311 complaints,
placed on a backburner
to smolder out. It is abundantly
clear, in our current state, lowdensity
communities within
the 45th precinct footprint will
not meet the criteria to warrant
more police presence. The NYC
Political Machine has imposed
its will on vulnerable communities
through unwanted overdevelopments,
service homes,
out-patient substance abuse
facilities and road diets. Now,
this uncontrollable powerhouse
continues to force feed us
a dichotomy of statistic driven
drivel negatively effecting quality
of life and enticing criminal
and other maladaptive behaviors.
This methodology separates
nuisance behaviors and
crime; however, common sense
dictates a dyadic relationship
exists between these troublesome
societal issues. Continued
divergence in this area will not
magically change rhetoric into
reality.
CD-13 Council race: Preliminary
results in the rankedchoice
voting system show
Marjorie Velazquez having an
insurmountable lead, accruing
more than 56% of the votes in
round one. Monique Johnson,
her closest challenger is at 27%.
Congratulations to Marjorie
Velazquez, the projected winner
of the CD-13 Democratic
Primary and based on past history
our next councilperson.
Community Footnotes:
Department of Sanitation
announces Special Waste
Drop-Off Sites will reopen
July 10th. Sites will be open
every Saturday and last Friday
of the month 10 a.m.-5
p.m. Contact NYC 311 for details.
Sincerest thanks to Councilman
Mark Gjonaj and Assemblyman
Michael Benedetto
for their continued work
with the Spencer Estate community
in the quest to maintain
our neighborhoods’ lowdensity
characteristic.
Kudos to Pelham Bay Park
administrator Marianne Anderson
and staff for the diligent
efforts required to keep
our Park and parkland perimeters
neat and clean. Special
thanks to Parks Department
PEP and our 45th Precinct for
sustaining order in the overcrowded
Middletown road
parking area. Your efforts are
truly appreciated.
Monthly meetings resume
in September. However, the
traditional July and August
summer respite could be interrupted
by circumstances
requiring ad hoc attention.
If we want to keep and reap
the blessings of our fi ne quality
of life, we must endure
the fatigue of supporting it.
Our community has traditionally
exhibited a “We are
Family attitude.” Now is the
time to let it shine. Communicate;
make that phone call,
text message or email. Please
check on family, friends and
neighbors especially the elderly
and vulnerable. Any
area homeowner or renter
interested in the Spencer Estate
Civic Association, send
an email to spencerestatecivic@
gmail.com. Remember:
Community=Common-Unity
and Inclusion brings Solutions.
CIVIC CENTER
Spencer Estate
Civic Association
TONY SALIMBENE
Congratulations are in order.
Our elected post senior
staff for next legion season
are: Cmdr. Gene Defrancis;
1st Vice Cmdr. Kevin Devine;
2nd Vice Cmdr. Sal Caruso;
3rd Vice Cmdr. Christine
Rayall; Finance Offi cer Ed
McGee and Adjutant Colleen
McCarthy.
Best wishes to outgoing
third Vice Cmdr. Nick Tedesco.
Appointed staff are: Senior
Past Cmdr. Pat Devine;
Sgt. at Arms Charlie McDougal;
Historian Tom Hansen
and color guard Capt. Guy
Richardson.
I must say as a past Color
Guard volunteer, if there were
a competition 253 would win
fi rst place! Job well done.
And what a great DJ we
had at our function. DJ Pusha
did a great job mixing tunes
and requests. You can contact
him 347-256-2439.
A special mention that
Gene and Colleen are also offi
cers in the Bronx County
Organization this year and
Efrain Gonzalez III is our
new County Historian/Photographer.
For the SAL Squadron,
we have yours truly as commander/
advisor; Joe Firriolo
and John Patrick Ellis as new
vice commanders and Angelo
Pinto as historian. If you
believe, please say an extra
prayer for Angelo as he fi ghts
an aggressive illness.
Auxiliary Unit 253 will
have our Judy Lanci as president.
What great activities
were accomplished with
Aunt Cathy. Remember 9/10
for Support the Troops Bingo
(8,000-plus boxes sent, let’s
make it to 10,000). All raffl e
tickets, sold pre-pandemic
will be honored, more are
available now.
The Junior Auxiliary has
been outstanding and special
congratulations to our
young August R. Messershmit
Scholarship Essay winners.
Also on the Children
and Youth front, PPC Mike
McNerny has been doing a
great job keeping Boys State
going through these most diffi
cult times.
Forgot something? Probably
did! See ya third Sunday
in September, location TBA.
Until Next Time: Post offi
cer this year or not, remember
we all have a sacred duty
to our country as those who
took an oath that doesn’t expire.
Have a great Summer.
*Hand Salute*
CIVIC CENTER
Korony Post 235
From Councilman Mark Gjonaj
I hope everyone is staying
safe and well air conditioned
during this early summer heat
wave. It is advised that all New
Yorkers limit their time outside
as much as possible, hydrate
frequently, and monitor
the seniors, young children
and pets in their lives. There
are cooling center located
throughout the city for those
that feel they are or are at risk
of overheating. These can be
located by visiting on.nyc.
gov/3jrRZV7<http://on.nyc.
gov/3jrRZV7>. Know the signs
of heat exhaustion and heat
stroke to protect yourself and
those around you. Symptoms
can include heavy sweating,
dizziness, fatigue and a weak,
but rapid pulse.
I am proud to hold the fi rst
in-person legislative hearing
in all of the Council’s committees
since the COVID-19 state
of emergency. Now that Governor
Cuomo has declared the
state of emergency over, public
meetings must now be held
at their offi cial sites. At the
end of this week, as Chair of
the Committee on Small Business,
we are poised to hear a
set of bills pertaining to thirdparty
food delivery platforms,
hearing testimony from all
interested parties. While the
hearing will be in-person,
testifi ers are still welcome to
access the hearing remotely.
All necessary safety and sanitation
precautions will be
taken.
The constituent services
segment has been kept mightily
busy this week, following
an equally-stacked weekend of
events and services. We held
another community shredding
event, this time at Edgewater
Park. Our partners at
Phipps Neighborhood helped
us to make it easy for district
residents to dispose of their
confi dential documents securely.
The day previously,
with the always superlative
Wildcats organization, we performed
a by-demand cleanup
in Westchester Avenue under
the train from Buhre Avenue
to Colonial Avenue.
For any questions or to
access my offi ce’s constituent
services team, please contact
my district offi ce at either
MGjonaj@council.nyc.
gov<mailto:MGjonaj@council.
nyc.gov> or at (718) 531-
1721. Please be well and stay
safe.
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