24 THE QUEENS COURIER • JULY 20, 2017 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
A $65M community health center will rise
in Flushing, Mayor de Blasio announces
BY SUZANNE MONTEVERDI
smonteverdi@qns.com / @smont76
A health care facility set to provide care
to 25,000 underserved New Yorkers will
be built in downtown Flushing.
During his time in Queens as part
of “City Hall in Your Borough” week,
Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on July
18 “Healthview,” a 77,000-square-foot
facility to be constructed at 40th Road and
College Point Boulevard. Th e new center
will create more than 140 new jobs in its
fi rst three years of operation, according to
the legislator.
Healthview, a state-of-the-art, environmentally
Police Commissioner James O’Neill
touts neighborhood policing program
BY ANTHONY GIUDICE
agiudice@ridgewoodtimes.com
@A_GiudiceReport
Th e city’s top cop, Police Commissioner
James O’Neill, paid a visit to Woodhaven
on Tuesday evening to take questions
from the residents and update them on
important police initiatives such as the
Neighborhood Policing Program, which
would bring patrol cops back to the
streets.
It was standing room only at the
American Legion Post 118 as residents
from across the borough fi lled the small
space to hear what O’Neill had to say.
O’Neill announced that neighborhood
policing would soon come to the 102nd
Precinct, which patrols Woodhaven and
other surrounding communities.
Neighborhood policing involves the
same cops being assigned to the same sectors
every day in order to foster a better
relationship between the police force and
the community. Eventually, all NYPD
precincts will have this program in place,
according to O’Neill.
“In 43 out of the 77 precincts, we are up
and running with neighborhood policing,”
O’Neill said. “We are giving our
cops the opportunity to go out there and
meet the people they are sworn to protect
and serve.”
One of the most important things a
neighborhood policing program would
bring about, according to O’Neill, is
the fact that nearly one-third of an offi -
cer’s day where they would normally
be answering 911 calls would now be
dedicated to talking to people, meeting
the residents of the neighborhood, and
attending important community meetings.
Th e Neighborhood Policing program
will involve cops patrolling the community
in their vehicles as well as walking
the beat.
“Neighborhood policing is our way forward,”
O’Neill said.
Th e commissioner also noted that
the number of police offi cers on patrol
throughout the city is climbing back up
with the addition of approximately 2,000
offi cers for a total of about 36,000 cops.
O’Neill also answered residents’ questions
regarding the NYPD’s recent change
on the issuance of civil summonses over
criminal summonses for minor infractions.
He said that police have the ability
to use their own discretion in handing out
summonses to individuals.
Bob Monahan, president of the Greater
Ridgewood Youth Council (GRYC)
probed the Commissioner on if the NYPD
can get more funding for youth programs
such as the Police Athletic League (PAL)
and the Explorers Program which introduces
youths to the police force.
“Th ere might be some funding available,”
O’Neill responded. “Th ere’s a lot
of things the NYPD does for young people.
We have the Explorer Program … we
also have a youth camp that we bring kids
away to.”
Th e special meeting with O’Neill was
put together by Assemblyman Mike
Miller and the Woodhaven Residents’
Block Association (WRBA).
friendly facility, will be operated
by the Charles B. Wang Community
Health Center. Th e new center will be a
primary care access point that provides
medical, dental, mental health, pediatric,
gynecological and patient support services
to the community.
Th e center will be designed to provide
“culturally competent care” and ensure
primary care is available to all, regardless
of ability to pay or immigration status.
Th e new project serves as a “study in
contrast” to the current health care discussion
taking place on Capitol Hill, de
Blasio said at the July 18 event.
“We keep reaching people who need
help, regardless of what’s happening
in Washington, D.C.,” the mayor said.
“We’re celebrating that more people will
be getting health care. We’re celebrating
that health care will be easier for people in
the Flushing community and in Queens
to get because of this new facility. While,
literally over these weeks in Washington,
people have been talking about how to
take health care away from millions and
million of Americans.”
Hours before the mayor’s announcement
about the Flushing facility, eff orts
to repeal the Aff ordable Care Act were
halted when two more Republican senators
declared that they would oppose
the Senate Republican bill. Still, de Blasio
said, the fi ght is ongoing.
“We have to remain vigilant,” de Blasio
said. “No one who cares about healthcare
should be resting on their laurels right
now … Th is is still a very live situation in
Washington.”
As part of the mayor’s Caring
Neighborhoods initiative, the city is providing
$1 million for the Healthview project.
Queens Borough President Melinda
Katz’s offi ce contributed $3 million and
the New York City Council secured $2
million.
A groundbreaking is expected this fall.
“As New Yorkers, we believe people
shouldn’t have to be afraid,” fi rst lady
Chirlane McCray said. “Th ey shouldn’t
have to empty their bank accounts when
they get sick, and no matter how they
came to our country and our city, people
shouldn’t have to live in the shadows,
especially when it comes to healthcare.
Th ose are our values.”
Photo by Anthony Giudice/QNS
Photo caption: Police Commissioner James
O’Neill visited Woodhaven on Tuesday night.
Photos by Suzanne Monteverdi/QNS
Mayor Bill de Blasio making the announcement in Flushing.