104COP Talks Recent Graffiti Collars, Installs Officers For Duty -CONTINUED FROM PG. 12- Brooklyn DA Eases Low-Level Pot Prosecutions of individuals given a “criminal record for a minor, non-violent offense,” according to the statement. “This new policy is a reasonable response to the thousands of low-level marijuana arrests that weigh down the criminal justice system, require significant resources that could be redirected to more serious crimes and take an unnecessary toll on offenders,” Thompson said. “This policy ... will use our prosecutorial discretion to decline to prosecute, and dismiss upfront, certain low-level marijuana possession cases based on criteria concerning the particular individual and the circumstances of the case.” The DA’s office will continue to prosecute under several other circumstances and, in some cases direct defendants to diversion programs, Thompson noted. These scenarios include if a defendant is arrested for smoking marijuana in a public place, particularly around children; if the defendant has a criminal record that indicates they may behave violently while under the influence; and if the defendant has an any open warrant, it was noted. If the defendant is under 18 years old and has recently begun smoking pot, they will be directed to a diversion program. “My office and the New York City Police Department have a shared mission to protect the public and we will continue to advance that goal. But as district attorney, I have the additional duty to do justice, and not merely convict, and to reform and improve out criminal justice system in Brooklyn,” Thompson said. The DA’s office processed over 8,500 cases where the top charge was a class B misdemeanor for marijuana possession, it was noted. “The processing of these cases exacts a cost on the criminal justice system and takes a toll on the individual,” Thompson stated. “Given that these cases are ultimately––and predictably––dismissed, the burdens that they pose on the system and the individual are difficult to justify. We are pouring money into an endeavor that produces no public safety benefit.” -CONTINUED FROM PG. 11- 104COP posters to inform the community of the group and get people more involved. Pearson said he will also update the 104COP Facebook page and website in an effort to boost membership and double the number of volunteers over the next two years. He will be shadowing Kotnik over the next year to take his place as president in a planned succession. Pearson also hopes to increase the number of patrols in the 104th Precinct. Currently they do around seven patrols a month of three cars, with two people in each vehicle. He hopes to grow that to morning, afternoon, and night patrols. People have become complacent, explained Pearson. While the 104th Precinct is not in bad shape, he wants to make sure it stays that way by being proactive. P.O. Edwin Collado of the 104th Precinct Crime Prevention Unit handed out pamphlets warning attendees of local scams and a ATM card skimming scam affecting local banks. “Everyone should engage,” said Collado, who request that the patrol expand its services—which includes safety details, routing traffic, disaster relief and searching for missing persons—to distributing crime prevention information in order to educate the community. Manson stated that crime is down overall in the precinct and robberies are “unbelievably low.” State Sen. Joseph Addabbo was also at the meeting to swear in the 2014-2015 officer board and commended the 104COP officers as “heroes.” The officers include President Frank Kotnik, First Vice President Mark Pearson, Second Vice President John Wilczynski, Secretary Ronnie Roth, Treasurer Camille Venezia and Sergeant-at-arms Ray Hartman. The board of directors are Elizabeth Delacruz, Jon Kablack, Anthony DiFillipo, Stephen Joseph Ficarola, Krzystof Krydus, Nelly Rivera and Thomas Bruno. The next 104th Precinct Civilian Observation Patrol meeting will take place on Thursday night, Aug. 14, at 8 p.m. at the United Talmudical Seminary, located at 74-10 88th St. in Glendale. For more information, visit www.104cop.org or call 1-718-497- 1500. New Queensbridge Seawall Open East River. Instead, residents will be able to enjoy a park and waterfront just as lovely as any in New York City.” “New York City’s 520 miles of shoreline is one of its greatest assets, and we are proud to continue reconnecting New Yorkers to their waterfront,” said Konon. “We are pleased to open the Queensbridge Park Seawall in partnership with NYC Parks, providing new recreational opportunities for the community while strengthening the resiliency of the area.” This project was managed by NYCEDC and included the reconstruction of the seawall using rip-rap revetment. Rip-rap, made up of large rocks, is used to protect the shoreline by absorbing and deflecting waves while lessening the effects of erosion. The project also created a 6’- wide waterfront promenade with benches and plantings, and a small wharf at its northern end. The project was funded with $3.65 million from Van Bramer and the City Council, $1 million from the Office of the Queens Borough President, $1 million from the Office of the Mayor, and $1 million from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. This park was named for the nearby Queensboro Bridge, now known as the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge. The City of New York acquired the land that is now Queensbridge Park in two sections in 1939. The Queensbridge Housing projects gave jurisdiction of the land to the New York City Housing Authority with the Parks Department retaining maintenance responsibilities. -CONTINUED FROM PG. 12- Members of the 104COP Board of Directors are pictured with Asssemblyman Mike Miller (at left) following their installation last Thursday, July 10. LIRR Strike Could Swamp Queens With Commuters According to published reports, the MTA is offering union workers a 17 percent pay increase phased in over seven years, but with the condition that workers contribute 2 percent of their pay toward health care costs. The various unions representing LIRR conductors, signalmen, track specialists and other employees provided counteroffers which the MTA rejected. Despite the impasse, elected officials across the state warned both parties not to count on last-minute intervention, and urged the MTA and unions to broker a fair deal. The last LIRR strike took place in 1994. In a statement last Wednesday, July 9, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said “it is now clear that the only path to resolution is at the bargaining table between the MTA and the unions” and that “this dispute must be handled amicably.” “The LIRR plays a unique role and is vital to Long Island’s economic and social activity,” Cuomo said. “A strike is just not an option and would be a terrible failure by both the unions and the MTA.” The MTA will offer “very limited, weekday, rush-hour peak direction only shuttle bus service starting within 24-48 hours of any declared strike,” it was noted. The buses would operate between parking lots in Nassau and Suffolk counties and subway hubs on the 7, A, M and R lines. The bus network—which, in an MTA announcement last Friday, July 11, has the ability to carry 15,000 passengers—would operate toward New York City between 4 and 7 a.m. and toward Long Island between 3 and 7 p.m. weekdays. These buses, however, “should be the last resort,” the MTA warned commuters, as only “a fraction of regular weekday rush hour customers can be accommodated on this extremely limited service.” Bus lines emanating from the Ronkonkoma, Deer Park and Manhasset LIRR stations would connect commuters to and from the Mets-Willets Point station on the 7 line. Citi Field’s parking lot would become a park-and-ride during the strike; the MTA noted there are 4,000 available spots. (The Mets’ next home game is not until July 28.) Another shuttle bus line would serve the Seaford, Bellmore and Freeport stations and Nassau Community College and bring riders to and from the Howard Beach-JFK Airport train station. Commuters choosing to drive in are advised to park-and-ride at nearby Aqueduct Racetrack/Resorts World New York—which has 3,000 available spots—and connect to the A train at Aqueduct-North Conduit Avenue. Finally, a third shuttle bus line would connect passengers between the Hicksville LIRR station and the Woodhaven Boulevard stop on the M and R lines in Elmhurst. For more information on the strike threat, visit www.mta.info/lirr and follow the Times Newsweekly on Twitter. -CONTINUED FROM PG. 18- Keep Your Eyes On The Road—Not Your Phone! Texting While Driving Is Dangerous & Illegal. Use A Hands-Free Phone Or Don’t Call While Driving! Ridgewood Rapists At Large they were not known to the victim. Officers from the 104th Precinct responded to the incident. The victim was treated at Woodhull Hospital Center, police sources stated. Authorities said one of the perpetrators was described as weighing about 200 lbs. and having brown eyes, dark hair with a pony tail and a medium complexion. He was last observed wearing a gray or white-striped blue shirt with dark colored shirts. Reportedly, the other suspect weighs 220 lbs. and had brown eyes, dark colored hair and a medium complexion. Police said he was last observed wearing a light blue shirt with dark colored shorts. Based on information obtained during its investigation, police believe both suspects spoke Spanish and were intoxicated at the time of the attack. The case was presented to the NYPD Queens Special Victims Squad and the 104th Precinct Detective Squad for further investigation. Anyone with information regarding the sexual assault or the suspects’ whereabouts is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577- TIPS or the 104th Precinct Detective Squad at 1-718-386- 2723; all calls will be kept confidential. -CONTINUED FROM PG. 1- Follow Us On Twitter @timesnewsweekly 53 • TIMES, THURSDAY, JULY 17, 2014
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