WRBA: Stop Overnight Tickets -CONTINUED FROM PG. 12- leaving “no proof anything was there,” Colberg said. “The next thing you have a summons,” he said, with no time allowed to clean up the property. To address the continuing headache, the WRBA has sent a letter to Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia asking that this practice end. Instead, Colberg urged that a warning be issued prior to a fine, so businesses are not saddled with the costs or lost business hours used to appear in court. Previous efforts to seek some relief from sanitation officials have been met with no changes, the WRBA noted. “We really want to see this practice ended,” Colberg said. “A warning would give us time to react, I think that would be a better way.” Last year, as public advocate, current Mayor Bill de Blasio wrote a letter that asked for the overnight ticketing be stopped. He suggested the rules be changed to mirror snow removal; that a business owner cannot be fined in the middle of the night for snow that had just started falling, the statement noted. Colberg sees the issue as not just confined to Woodhaven or parts of Queens either. “If it’s being done to us, how many people city is it happening to?” he asked. Commander Talks Crime Drop 108th Council 911 calls. “Complaint calls get answered after 911 calls,” Hennessy stated. 911 calls get priority to 311.” To address the situation he said the command will “speak to the manager and try to get some mediation. And if we have to get some enforcement, we’ll do enforcement.” In the last 28 days there were no murders, versus one in 2013, and two rapes against zero, Hennessy said. In both sexual assaults the perpetrator was known to the victim, he said. Over the period there were17 robberies versus 13 last year, Hennessy stated. Additionally 12 felony assaults, versus 12 occurred within the 108th Precinct; 15 burglaries against 13; 36 grand larcenies compared to 51; and 13 stolen vehicles versus 17 last year, Hennessy said Addressing robberies, Hennessy said, “over the course of the last 28 days we do have 17 of them, three of them were pharmacy robberies. There was one school related robbery where two individuals approached a kid behind one of the high schools in LaGuardia College. One of the kids put the student in a bear hug. There was a fight over five dollars.” “One of the kids put the kid in a bear hug while the other kid stabbed him. And they were both apprehended a short time later,” he added. Looking for leads Hennessy gave attendees an update on two homicides that occurred this summer, one at the end of June, and the second in late July. In the first incident, a 56-yearold man was walking down Roosevelt Avenue at 69th Street just after midnight. As he was walking past one of the bars, there were four individuals hanging out outside, and as he walked past, one struck him in the face with a fist for an unknown reason, according to Hennessy. The victim subsequently fell back onto the sidewalk, hit his head and later died from his injuries at Elmhurst General Hospital, the captain said. No arrests have been made in connection, and the inquiry is still ongoing, he stated. In the second incident two suspects have been apprehended, “we expect a few more in the future,” Hennessy said. The second incident occurred on July 26 outside the Queens Palace catering hall and nightclub on 57th Street in Woodside. The trouble began around 1 a.m., as a beef between three rival groups, two of which were inside, ended in a shooting, the captain said. When the third group tried to get inside the venue, but was denied entry by bouncers, one individual pulled out a gun and began shooting into the crowd. As people fled from the scene, Hennessy noted, one individual ran back. He was subsequently assaulted and later died from his injuries at Elmhurst General Hospital, Hennessy stated. Talking traffic Hennessy said traffic related fatalities have also decreased, with none so far this year after 12 in 2013. Hennessy credited the decline to more stringent traffic enforcement and the mayor’s Vision Zero initiative. “It’s been due to large, targeted enforcement and concentrating efforts in problematic areas,” Hennessy said. “We have significant increases in speed summonses, significant increases in failing to yield to pedestrians, significant increases in bicycle summonses, We are up 60 DWI arrests from last year, 112 versus 52.” “There’s a lot of hard work going in there, and it’s really paid of in that field,” he added. Before the meeting, Community Board 2 member Al Volpe distributed a letter to the editor he wrote that was printed in a local newspaper that in part criticized bicyclists for riding unsafely and disobeying traffic laws. “How many tickets to bikers did you give since the last meeting?” he asked the captain. “Since the last meeting, I would say well over a hundred, probably close to 200, but in the last 28 days, it’s been 39.” “Over a hundred to bikers. Wonderful,” Volpe replied Cop Of The Month Award P.O. JohnMiszuk received the Cop of the Month award for September, donated by the Times Newsweekly, for an arrest he made in connection with a string of commercial burglaries in the area. The suspect committed three burglaries of neighborhood pharmacies by displaying weapons and demanding percocet and Vicodin pills. The first occurred on Sept. 2, at a store on Greenpoint Avenue, where the suspect displayed a gun and demanded pills, the captain stated. Three days later the same suspect walked into another pharmacy, this one on 43rd Avenue and did the same thing. The precinct then set up on some locations that might be targeted by the crook, in the event one would be hit again, Hennessy said.A t around 5:30 p.m. on Sept. 11, the suspect robbed a pharmacy on Queens Boulevard near 43rd Street, according to the captain. This time he pulled out a knife and again demanded percocet and vicodinAshort time later officer Miszuk arrested him a few blocks away with the help of an eyewitness. “It wasn’t just my own actions,” he said. Hennessy agreed, “it was a big team effort to make this arrest,” he said. * * * The 108th Precinct meets on the last Tuesday of each month at Sunnyside Community Services, 43-31 39th St. Meetings begin at 7 p.m. -CONTINUED FROM PG. 11- P.O. John Miszuk was awarded a Cop of the Month award for September for an arrest he made in connection to a string of commercial robberies within the 108th Precinct. The suspect held up three drug stores and demanded percocet and vicodin pills, Redistricting Among Ballot Questions according to 108th Precinct Capt. Brian Hennessy. Miszuk is pictured, second from right, with from right, Hennessy, 108th Precinct Community Council President Diane Ballek, Lt. Jon -CONTINUED FROM PG. 17- form. Cermeli and Don McCalian last Tuesday, Sept. 30. LATFOR came under fire in The referendum would change (photo: Noah Zuss) 2012 and in previous redistricting a constitutional law established in cycles for presenting maps with 1938 which requires that paper heavily gerrymandered districts copies of legislation be placed on designed to either ensure lawmakers’ desks no less than incumbency for some politicians three days prior to a scheduled or pit two sitting incumbent vote. Constitutional experts state lawmakers against each other. the wording of the law While state lawmakers agreed technically prohibits any to an amended LATFOR map for electronic transmission of state legislative districts, a federal legislation to devices such as judge intervened on laptop computers or tablets. Congressional redistricting and If approved, the legislature established its own would send proposed bills to reapportionment map for New lawmakers’ digital devices for York State. their review according to the If approved, the first same timeframe as the 1938 law. redistricting commission would The legislators must be able to be formed prior to the 2022 state print the bill upon receipt and election. Ten members, in all, record any changes should they would sit on the body; the State choose to amend or strike any Senate president pro tempore, language presented therein. Assembly speaker, State Senate Finally, Ballot Question 3 asks minority leader and Assembly voters whether to authorize the minority leader would have two state comptroller to issue and sell appointees each. Those eight up to $2 billion in state bonds to appointees would then confer and finance educational upgrades select the last two commissioners. throughout New York State Legislators and other elected schools. officials would be prohibited If approved, the bond sale from serving on the commission. would provide the state with cash Additionally, the panel would for technological upgrades at receive state funding for a public schools such as the bipartisan staff. installation of high-speed The commission would also broadband and wireless Internet be required to hold 12 public and the purchase of devices such hearings across the Empire State as computer servers, laptop to gather input as they consider computers and tablets. new Assembly, State Senate and The bond issue would also Congressional district fund construction of new and boundaries. Once finalized, the expanded schools to commission’s map would be accommodate new prekindergarten presented to the state legislature classes and phase for its approval. out the use of temporary Should the legislature reject classroom trailers. the map twice, according to the Polls will be open on Election ballot question, the commission Day from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. All would then be required to amend statewide office and legislative it “as necessary.” seats, and all of New York’s 27 Ballot Question 2 asks voters seats in the House of whether to allow the state Representatives, are on the ballot. legislature to transmit bills For information on voting, electronically to lawmakers visit www.vote.nyc.ny.us or call rather than in standard paper 1-212-VOTE-NYC. 53 • TIMES, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2014 HHAAVVEE YYOOUU CCHHEECCKKEEDD YYOOUURR CCHHILDD’SS HHOOMMEEWWOORRKK TOODDAAYY?
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