FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM JUNE 3, 2021 • THE QUEENS COURIER 3
‘Legendary’ detective honored in SE Queens
BY BILL PARRY
bparry@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
A legendary fi gure in the south Jamaica
community was honored with a street
co-naming on Saturday, May 22.
Friends, family and colleagues of NYPD
Detective Lawrence Cecil Smith gathered
at the corner of 168th Street and Baisley
Boulevard to honor the longtime youth offi -
cer who mentored countless youths during
his tenure at the 113th Precinct.
“Detective Smitty changed what it
meant to be a mentor for young people,
and he always gave back to his community,
especially to the next generation,”
Councilwoman Adrienne Adams said. “His
contributions to our community will never
be forgotten. Detective Smitty’s legacy will
live on in the hundreds, if not thousands, of
lives he changed for the better. I am proud
that whenever community members, young
people and police offi cers walk by the 113th
Precinct, they can look up and be reminded
of Detective Smitty’s impact.”
Adams sponsored the legislation and
hosted the event that unveiled the street
sign for “Detective Lawrence Cecil Smith
Boulevard.”
“Detective Lawrence Cecil Smith was a
true hero, not just for his service to southeast
Queens as a police offi cer and our nation as
a member of the Armed Forces, but also
for his dedication to the empowerment
of children across our borough through
mentorship, ministry and sports,” Queens
Borough President Donovan Richards said.
“Detective Smith left an indelible mark on
so many young people over the course of
many decades. With this street co-naming,
his legacy will live on in the community he
loved so much.”
Born on March 29, 1945, in Brooklyn,
Smith was the youngest son of William
Ellery Smith and Cecilia Bush Smith.
Following his honorable discharge, Smith
graduated from John Jay College of
Criminal Justice. He later graduated from
the police academy and became an offi cer
in the 113th Precinct.
“Th is street co-naming of Detective
Lawrence Cecil Smith Boulevard in honor
of the late Detective Smitty and his dedication
to our youngest and most vulnerable
serves as a testament to all NYPD Police
Offi cers and Youth Coordination Offi cers
today,” said Assistant Chief Ruben Beltran,
commanding offi cer of Patrol Borough
Queens South.
Aft er retiring from the NYPD, Smith
relocated to Palm Coast, Florida, in 1998
and became an active member of Mount
Calvary Baptist Church, serving as director
of operations, director of the Security
Ministry, and a member of the Youth
Advisory Council. He was also a vacation
Bible school teacher and substitute teacher
with the Flagler County School District,
a basketball coach for the Flagler PAL program,
and served on the executive committee
of the local NAACP chapter.
Smith is survived by his wife of 18 years,
Dr. Pamela Jackson-Smith, his two sons
Keith Lawrence Smith and Howard Martin
Smith, three grandchildren, many nieces
and nephews, and a host of mentees and
friends.
“I am thankful to the NYPD offi cials and
elected offi cials for honoring my husband
Lawrence C. Smith for the sacrifi ce and service
that he provided the 113th Precinct.
My husband Larry was the epitome of a
civil servant. He dedicated his life to the
betterment of this community,” Jackson-
Smith said. “Hundreds of youth were
saved from the grips of despair through his
Youth Council outreach. It was more than
about sports. It was about character-building,
work ethic and being model citizens.
He impacted a generation of youth, where
many followed his path into law enforcement.
‘To protect and serve’ became his life’s
mission. He leaves behind a legacy that is a
tried and true model of community policing
that is amenable to informing community
policing policies even now in this critical
time of need in our communities.”
Detective Tanya Duhaney of Patrol
Borough Queens South has Smith as a
mentor.
“A life fi lled with purpose is a life full of
service to help others,” she said.
Smith’s niece Dawn Hewitt called him a
larger than life fi gure.
“He was truly my rock. His youth program
helped to mold and build the character
of so many NYC youths. I know it
helped to build mine. He taught us about
work ethics. He instilled in me and others
the value of an education,” Hewitt said.
“Th rough watching him, I learned leadership
skills. So many others, myself included,
have been able to achieve all that we
are because of the foundation he gave us.
To me, he was not only an uncle, he was
my hero.”
Queens Village native helms historic White House press briefi ng
BY BILL PARRY
Biden administration as deputy
was the fi rst Black woman to lead a White
bparry@schnepsmedia.com
press secretary.
House briefi ng in 1991, becoming
@QNS
“It is a real honor to be
the inspiration for the Olivia
standing here today,” Jean-
Pope character in “Scandal,” the
Southeast Queens native Karine Jean-
Pierre said. “I appreciate
ABC television series created by
Pierre made history when she became
the historic nature, I really
Shonda Rhimes.
the fi rst openly gay woman to deliver
do. But I believe that
Jean-Pierre is a potential successor
the White House briefi ng on Wednesday,
being behind this podium,
to White House Press Secretary
May 26.
being in this room, being in this
Jen Psaki, who has spoken of her
Jean-Pierre, 43, also became only the
building, is not about one person.
second Black woman in history to take
It’s about what we
to the lectern in the White House’s James
do on behalf of the
S. Brady Press Briefi ng Room during the
American people.”
televised session.
Following her
Jean-Pierre, the daughter of Haitian
briefing, Jean-
immigrants, was raised from the age of 5
P i e r r e
in Queens Village. Her father was a cab
s h a r e d
driver and her mother was a health care
some time
worker. She initially received her MPA
with Judy
from Columbia University in 2003 and
Smith, who
went on to work on the John Edwards
served in
campaign during his 2004 presidential
the same
run. She gained further attention in 2008
role during
when she served as the political director
the administration
for the White House Offi ce of Political
of President
Aff airs during the Obama administration.
George H.W.
Jean-Pierre currently serves in the
Bush. Smith
plan to step down from that role aft er a
year in the Biden administration. Jean-
Pierre had conducted “press gaggles”
about Air Force One while traveling with
President Biden.
“Clearly the president believes the representation
matters and I appreciate him
giving me this opportunity,” Jean-Pierre
said during her White House briefi ng.
“And it’s another reason why I think we’re
all so proud that this is the most diverse
administration in history.”
Jean-Pierre began her political career
in the New York City Council serving on
the staff s of current state Senator James
Sanders and Councilman James Gennaro.
She also worked in the Obama administration
aft er working on his presidential
campaign and worked on the Letitia James
campaign for New York State Attorney
General. She went on to serve as the chief
public aff airs offi cer for MoveOn.org and
an NBC and MSNBC political analyst.
Jean-Pierre currently resides in
Washington, D.C, with her partner,
CNN anchor Suzane Malveaux, and their
daughter.
Photo by Evelyn Hockstein/ REUTERS
Principal Deputy Press
Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre,
the fi rst Black woman to
speak for the White House
in three decades, holds a
press briefi ng at the White
House on May 26, 2021.
Photo courtesy of Adams’ offi ce
A new street sign honoring NYPD Det. Lawrence Cecil Smith is unveiled near the 113th Precinct.
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