4 JUNE 22, 2017 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
Police Commissioner O’Neill visits precinct meeting in Glendale
@A_GIUDICEREPORT
From quality-of-life problems to opiate
addictions, Police Commissioner
James O’Neill ran the gamut of issues
raised by residents during his visit to
the 104th Precinct Community Council
meeting on June 20 at Sacred Heart
Catholic Academy in Glendale.
People from across the borough
fi lled the school’s auditorium to get
their chance to ask the city’s top cop
what was on their mind.
Many residents were concerned
with Mayor Bill de Blasio’s signing of
the Criminal Justice Reform Act — a
package of eight bills that would lessen
the penalties for minor off enses
such as drinking in public and public
urination — believing that cops were
now instructed to basically look the
other way when it comes to minor
infractions.
O’Neill debunked that belief stating
that offi cers are now told to use
discretion when addressing these
quality-of-life issues instead of automatically
issuing criminal court
summonses.
“The NYPD will never walk away
from quality-of-life enforcement,”
O’Neill assured those in attendance.
Police Commissioner James O'Neill stands with Assistant Chief Juanita Holmes, City Councilwoman Elizabeth
Crowley and the men and women of the 104th Precinct and the 104th Precinct Community Council.
“What we did was we have a civil enforcement
option now. We still retain
the right to issue a criminal court summons,
but the civil enforcement … it’s
a fi ne and we’ll extradite it and there
will still be consequences so again, we
are not walking away from that.”
One resident wanted to know what
the police department could to do help
organizations like the Police Athletic
League (PAL) and others to help keep
children off the streets and away from
drugs, especially with the rapid rise of
opiate addiction that has spread across
the city.
MYRTLE AVENUE
BY ANTHONY GIUDICE
AGIUDICE@RIDGEWOODTIMES.COM
BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT
Myrtle Avenue Business Improvement District (BID)
Twenty-Ninth Annual Meeting
Wednesday, June 28, 2017 at 6:30 p.m.
Ridgewood Savings Bank (Myrtle & Forest Avenues)
Buffet & Refreshments
Compliments of the Ridgewood Savings Bank
AGENDA
· Welcome - Herman Hochberg, Chairman
· Domenico Ciaccio - Assistant Vice President
Community Reinvestment Officer, Ridgewood Savings Bank
SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKER
· Captain John Mastronardi,
Commanding Officer, 104th Precinct
· Approval of 2016 Annual Meeting Minutes
· Nominating Committee Report & Election of Board of Directors
· Presentation of F Y18 Budget & Annual Report
· Review of 2017 Programs/Projects & 2018 Program Review
· Old & New Business, Q & A, Networking
O’Neill stated that the department
works very closely with the PAL and
has many of its own youth programs
such as the Law Enforcement Explorers
program and a youth summer
camp to get young kids involved with
the police force and away from drugs.
“We put overdose investigation
teams in each and every borough
now,” O’Neill said. “So now we have
detectives dedicated anytime there is
an overdose, fatal or nonfatal, being
investigated by detectives to see where
the drugs came from. And we’re not
looking to lock up the people that are
Photos by Anthony Giudice/Ridgewood Times
overdosing or the people that gave
them that small amount; again, we are
looking to go up the food chain.”
The NYPD, with the support of the
mayor and the City Council, is hiring
additional offi cers in order to move
more people into the detective division
to the Drug Enforcement Task Force,
which works with the Drug Enforcement
Agency (DEA).
The Commissioner also addressed
how the police force is handling prostitution
and human traffi cking across
the city, as well as the presence of gang
members in Queens.
Thousands set to walk during
Middle Village Relay for Life
BY ANTHONY GIUDICE
AGIUDICE@RIDGEWOODTIMES.COM
@A_GIUDICEREPORT
This Saturday, thousands of
participants will take to the
Juniper Valley Park running
track and put their best feet forward
in the fi ght against cancer during
the annual American Cancer Society
Middle Village Relay for Life.
The event will kick off at 3 p.m. on
June 24, and will continue all day
and through the night until 7 a.m.
on Sunday, June 25. During the rally,
members from each of the current 82
Middle Village Relay for Life teams
will walk or run around the track.
While one member is walking,
other team members camp out on
the grounds around the track and
enjoy their fi ll of music, food, entertainment
and activities, all while
building camaraderie with their
teammates and other participants.
Registration starts at 3 p.m. followed
by the opening ceremony
and Survivor’s Lap at 4 p.m. where
cancer survivors are invited to take
a victory lap as they are cheered on
by their fellow participants celebrating
their victory over cancer.
The Luminaria Ceremony will
begin at 10 p.m., which is a candlelight
ceremony that pays tribute to
all those who have been aff ected by
cancer.
Candles are placed inside white
bags filled with sand and are
positioned around the track or
bleachers to honor those who have
survived cancer, those who are still
fi ghting, and the memory of those
who have lost their fi ght against
cancer.
The Luminarias will be kept
burning throughout the night, to
represent the healing power of
community and the importance of
funding to fi nd a cure.
The closing ceremony will begin
at 7 a.m. on June 25 when participants
celebrate another successful
year for Relay for Life.
Middle Village Relay for Life has
already amassed $168,484.29 of
their $215,000 goal with a few days
to go before the event.
For more information on the
event at Juniper Valley Park, how
to donate, how to make your own
team, or how to volunteer for the
event, visit the Middle Village Relay
for Life website.
