4 THE QUEENS COURIER • SEPTEMBER 14, 2017 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
Bayside, Douglaston
see car theft spike
BY SUZANNE MONTEVERDI
smonteverdi@qns.com / @smont76
Authorities are alerting Bayside,
Douglaston and Little Neck residents to
a recent uptick in car theft s and property
being stolen from vehicles.
According to Deputy Inspector William
A. McBride, the 111th Precinct saw double
the number of reported stolen cars last
month when compared to last year. Th e
commanding offi cer urged attendees at
the Sept. 5 Community Council meeting
to be mindful of locking their doors when
exiting their vehicles and never leave car
keys inside.
“For the year to date — through Sunday
— we’re down in every major crime category
with the exception of grand larceny
auto,” McBride said during the Sept. 5
meeting of the 111th Precinct Community
Council in Bayside.
Th e commanding offi cer said about half
of the car theft s in recent months were
facilitated by owners leaving their keys in
the car. McBride also reminded residents
never to leave their cars running unattended
— even cars with remote start buttons.
Offi cer Steven Rosa later urged residents
never to leave valuables in their vehicles —
even for just a few minutes. Cars or valuables
inside are oft en stolen in front of
locations such as neighborhood delis, coffee
shops, gas stations and schools.
“Last year around this time — with
school starting up — we did have an
up-spike in theft s from an auto,” Rosa
said. “People were picking up their children
or dropping them off and leaving
their pocketbooks in the car. Th ieves were
watching, they’d punch in the windows
and remove their property … So we’d like
to keep that down this year.”
Rosa said he and other members of the
Community Aff airs Unit will be visiting
local schools in the coming weeks to
remind parents and guardians to always
take their valuables with them and be
mindful of traffi c rules and regulations.
Residents can also contact the precinct
to have their Vehicle Identifi cation
Number (VIN) etched onto their vehicle’s
glass, which deters theft and makes
it easier to trace the vehicle if it is stolen.
Interested parties can call Rosa at 718-279-
5215 to schedule the etching.
Image via Wikimedia Commons/Jim.henderson
The Little Neck Post Offi ce, located at 250th Street and Northern Boulevard.
Douglaston resident wants to
see local post offi ce renamed
BY SUZANNE MONTEVERDI
offi cial name causing an identity erasure
working to determine the proper boundary
smonteverdi@qns.com / @smont76
for the unique Queens neighborhood.
lines that will be used to separate
Th e change would require a local
the two neighborhoods. Currently, he
A longtime Douglaston resident is
Congressman to present offi cial legislation
sees Udalls Ravine, Overbrook Street and
fi ghting to offi cially put his hometown
in the House. Mimoni said he will
Marathon Parkway as potential markers,
on the map.
approach Congressman Tom Suozzi with
but he is eager to hear the community’s
Victor Mimoni has begun taking steps
the idea.
input.
to change the name of the Little Neck
“It’s kind of a no-brainer that’s not very
Th ough the change in name may seem
Post Offi ce — located at 250-10 Northern
controversial,” Mimoni said. “It happens
minor, Mimoni said, the step would be
Blvd. — to include “Douglaston.” Th e
dozens of times a year.”
an important way to ensure the neighborhood
neighborhood’s mail is fi ltered through
In fact, according to a Congressional
retains its unique identity. He
the post offi ce, Mimoni said, but the
Research Service report, legislation
has begun discussing the proposal within
current designation does not aff ord the
renaming post offi ces has become a very
neighborhood and has gotten many votes
eastern Queens locale the recognition it
common practice recently. More than
of support — especially from younger
deserves.
one in fi ve of the public laws passed by
families. However, there has been resistance
Th e Douglaston resident cited the Alley
the 110th and 109th Congresses were
from a small group “who want
Pond Environmental Center as a prime
post offi ce naming bills.
Douglaston to stay under the radar.”
example of why the post offi ce needs to be
Mimoni is now seeking support from
“Some people want to keep
renamed. Offi cially, the educational center
local Community Board 11 and residents;
Douglaston a secret,” he said. “But it’s
is referred to as being in Little Neck —
he began his campaign on Sept. 11
the best place in the city to raise a kid …
when it is in fact in Douglaston — due to
by speaking at the monthly meeting of
Th e whole idea is if you add Douglaston
the postal designation. Th is, Mimoni said,
Board 11 in Bayside.
to the name, they have to acknowledge
is just one example of the post offi ce’s
Using historical sources, Mimoni is
it.”
Queens man caught stealing mail in Flushing arrested
BY SUZANNE MONTEVERDI
smonteverdi@qns.com / @smont76
A Woodside man cuff ed for stealing
mail in Queens was discovered with a
collection of forged items, according to
police.
Sungwoo Han, 30, was arrested and
charged with possession of a forged
instrument, criminal possession of stolen
property and unlawful possession of
stolen property.
On Sept. 2 at around 7 a.m., Han was
discovered at 45th Avenue and Robinson
Street in Flushing rifl ing through a residential
mailbox without the owner’s permission.
Upon placing Han under arrest, offi -
cers from the 109th Precinct discovered
the perpetrator was in possession
of multiple forged identifi cation cards,
credit cards and counterfeit currency.
Inspector Judith Harrison, commanding
offi cer of the Flushing-based precinct,
took to Twitter to commend the
offi cers responsible for the arrest.
“Great mail theft arrest by Offi cers
Mirabile & Reade,” Harrison wrote.
“Credit cards, counterfeit $, forged ID’s
were also recovered.”
Photo via Shutterstock
Photo via Twitter/NYPD109Pct
Forged credit cards and stolen mail (above) were among the confi scated items.