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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,
the NYPD does have sound
Police Commissioner James O’Neill (at right) addresses residents at the We Love Whitestone Civic Association meeting on April 17.
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
Photo by Carlotta Mohamed/QNS
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. 28 No. 17 52 total pages
/QNS.COM