Message from
Councilman Mark Gjonaj
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, A 44 UGUST 9-15, 2019 BTR
COUNCILMAN MARK GJONAJ
BY GEORGE HAVRANEK
Rhetoric vs. Reality
“More 911 calls made
means more police…” is a
common declaration at civic
assemblies throughout our
community. This statement
infers that the volume of 911
calls stringently determines
the number of police personnel
assigned to an area.
Let us take a logical-analogous
view at this common
declaration.
Many years ago fi re alarm
pull boxes were on street corners.
The aforementioned
phrase 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 re fi ghters. This rudimentary
interpretation fails to
account for the type, scope,
and disposition of alarm-generated
events.
It is reasonable to surmise
communities with high call
volumes and high numbers
of documented serious events
would require and receive
more services than high call
volume areas with signifi cant
numbers of mild or benign
incidences. The type, scope,
and disposition of incidents
are critical variables in the
formulary used to determine
manpower in given areas.
These consistently avoided
critical variables must be
clearly defi ned during community
presentations; failure
to do so can entice the developments
of unrealistic public
perceptions.
A creation of direct cause
and effect relationships between
number of calls and
number of law enforcement
personnel shifts the burden
away from the legislators and
policy makers and onto the
community. Placing this burden
squarely on the shoulders
of a community is at
worst devious and at best illusory.
The declaration, “The
more 911 calls made means
more police” is a rhetorical,
misleading half-truth that
skews public perception and
is detrimental to community
unifi cation.
The sentiments in low-density
communities strongly
suggest people believe their
quality of life is on a rapid
downward spiral. Nuisance
complaints that were once
promptly addressed by our
Police Department are now
low priority 311 complaints.
These ‘low priority’ issues are
often placed on a backburner
and smolder out. It is abundantly
clear, in our current
state, the low density communities
within the 45th Precinct
footprint can not meet
the criteria to warrant more
police presence. The NYC Political
Machine, that has imposed
their wills on vulnerable
communities through
unwanted over-developments
and road diets are force feeding
us a dichotomy of statistic
driven drivel that polarizes
quality of life and criminal
behavior. This methodology
isolates nuisance behaviors
and crime; however, common
sense dictates that a dyadic
relationship exists between
these troublesome societal
agents.
The current makeup of
the City Council and permissive
attitude of our Mayor
suggests legislative change
needed to offset 2016 reformations
is highly unlikely. As
unifi ed communities we need
to work with whatever is in
our respective toolboxes. An
increase in police personnel
and textbook enforcements
of current law would be excellent
starting points. NY’s
Finest are handcuffed by
NYC policy. Directives given
to the NYPD hierarchy and
passed through the rank and
fi le has resulted in a downward
spiral in our quality of
life. The warning label ‘Decriminalization
is hazardous
to your quality of life’ should
accompany the dubious statistics
showing a decrease in
NYC crime. To paraphrase
Theodore Roosevelt: “Rhetoric
is a poor substitute for action”
…and does not ease the
pains of reality.
It is now time for the residents
of our communities to
follow another commonly declared
axiom, “See something
say something.” Our eyes are
now open, awareness has set
in, and displeasure is evident.
We watch as our quality
of life slips into the abyss. We
see something and will say
something loudly, at the voting
booths.
Community Footnotes
The NYC Department of
Transportation has approved
request 330583-W8J8 for a
speed hump on Stadium Avenue
between Ampere and
Griswold Avenue. Former
Senator Jeff Klein fi led this
request in 2017 on behalf of
our association. Installation
details are forthcoming.
Thank you DOT and former
Senator Klein.
Community Board 10 has
informed the Spencer Estate
Civic Association that DOT
approval has been granted to
spruce up the utility triangle
at the Ampere Avenue/Middletown
Road convergence.
We thank all our friends at
CB 10 for their diligent efforts
and unwavering support.
Tradition Lives On
Thanks to generous funding
by Councilman Mark
Gjonaj; the KRVC and Bronx
Art Ensemble have brought
back the beloved Concert in
the Park series. Please call the
offi ce of Councilman Gjonaj
at (718) 931-1721 for details.
A thank you to Congresswoman
Ocasio- Cortez for
joining Senator Alessandra
Biaggi, Assemblyman Michael
Benedetto and Councilman
Gjonaj for supporting
community opposition to
the 822 licensure sought by
Miracle City. In our current
climate total support, a four
for four, from our elected offi -
cials is needed for success.
With quality of life under
siege our community cannot
withstand the loss of police
offi cers. Help prevent further
cutbacks to our NYPD; please
sign the opposition petition @
http://chng.it/LngZSpBV
Senator Biaggi’s district offi
ce is relocating from 1250 Waters
Place in the Hutchinson
Metro Center. As of August 7,
they will be located at 3190 Riverdale
Avenue, Suite 2, Bronx,
NY 10463. The Waters Place
location will be missed; however,
we wish them the best
of luck in their new location.
Senator Biaggi is slated to be
our association’s October keynote
speaker.
Political leaders to gauge
a community’s strength use
the attendances at local civic
association meetings. Large
turnouts by our community
showed our elected offi cials
that we have the fortitude
and resolve needed to confront
adversity. It is critical
for our community to continually
build on this momentum.
After an August break
we will come back rested and
ready in September.
The next meeting of the
Spencer Estate Civic Association
is Wednesday, September
18, 7:30 p.m., at Knights of
Columbus (corner of Ampere
and Research avenues) Our
valued friend, Councilman
Mark Gjonaj is the scheduled
keynote speaker for our
second half kick-off. Any
area homeowner or renter
interested in membership to
the all inclusive Spencer Estate
Civic Association in box
George Havranek on Facebook
or send-email with subject
matter Spencer Estate to
gghh55@aol.com.
Whether you are having a BBQ, a
concert, or a movie-night, the summer
is an incredible time to spend with
friends, family, and the community.
Social events, such as these, are more
than just entertaining; they forge a
bond and kinship between us.
Therefore, this summer I have attempted
to support as many communal
events as possible. Whether it was
a July 4th BBQ or a movie night in
Westchester Square, I hoped to make
our neighborhoods fun and communally
cohesive. August will be no different.
This past Monday, we kicked off
our Summer 2019 Concert Series. In
this year’s budget, I funded KRVC to
host six concerts over the course of
this month. Every concert is free and
will feature unique artists, music
genres throughout the district. Ranging
from oldies to pop to jazz, there will
defi nitely be a genre for you and your
family.
Do you live near Throggs Neck? The
Ice House will feature Twin Gold—
known for their ‘oldies. ’ Or if you live
near Loreto or Pelham Bay Park, and
adore Latin jazz and American rock,
you will love the Bronx Art Ensemble.
Do you enjoy swing, jazz, soul, Motown,
rock, or pop? Then Just Nuts in
Bufano Park is the concert for you. On
the other hand, if your passion is rock,
pop, and getting out to City Island, then
Alive & Kickin’s concert at Ambrosini
Field is where you’ll want to be.
To end the summer we have three
more concerts: The Bronx Arts Ensemble
on Thurday, August 22 at 6 p.m. Pelham
Bay Park, Just Nuts on Tuesday,
August 27 at 7 p.m. at Bufano Park, and
Alive & Kickin on Thursday, August 29
at 7 p.m. at Ambrosini Park.
Our concerts even extend into September!
The Bronx Arts Ensemble will
also play on Thursday, September 5 at
6 p.m. at Comras Mall and Thursday,
September 13 at 6 p.m. at Burns Playground.
Bring your families! Together we
can make this a month for music and
community.
/LngZSpBV
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/LngZSpBV
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