14 THE QUEENS COURIER • AUGUST 5, 2021 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
National Night Out brings Queens communities together
BY GABRIELE HOLTERMANN
editorial@qns.com
@QNS
Community members across
Queens had a chance to meet
their local police offi cers during
National Night Out Against
Crime on Aug. 3.
Th e community-building campaign,
celebrated across the
nation on the fi rst Tuesday of
August every year, aims to foster a
positive relationship between the
police and neighborhoods.
In Queens, the 110th Precinct,
which encompasses Corona and
Elmhurst, celebrated the annual
event in Flushing Meadows
Corona Park — where a few
thousand community members
showed their support for the
women and men in blue.
George Onourah felt that this
year’s National Night Out took on
a new meaning given the rise in
crime, saying public safety should
be a priority.
“We need to build a relationship
between the NYPD and the
community,” Onourah said. “Th at
way, we can have the peace and
understanding we need to make
this a better city — where each
one of us feels safe when we walk
the streets.”
Kids and parents enjoyed
the carousel rides, face painting,
slides, dance performances
and musical entertainment
by Camila Noguera, who also
sang the national anthem. Long
lines formed at the “game table”
where police offi cers handed out
age-appropriate games donated
by Chief of Community Aff airs
Jeff rey Maddrey, and the hot
dog stand attended by 110th
Community Council members.
Commanding offi cer of the
110th Precinct Jonathan Cermeli,
who was recently promoted to
deputy inspector, said it was great
to see so many members of the
community at the event aft er it
was canceled last year due to the
COVID-19 crisis.
“We want to do events like
Police offi icers of the 110th Precinct hand out games to kids at National Night Out. The games were donated by Chief of
Community Aff airs Maddrey.
this, to build the bridges between
the community and the police
department, but we need your
support,” Cermeli said before
handing out the City Council’s
Good Samaritan award to some
offi cers of the 110th Precinct.
In May, NYPD Offi cers
Tyborowski and Isanovic
responded to a call
regarding an unconscious
child who had a
seizure. Th ey saved the
2-year-old’s life, removing
the foam from her
mouth to prevent her
from choking and
performing CPR.
Police Offi cer Laqua
and his partner
saved the life of a
stabbing victim
by applying a
tourniquet and
apprehending
the suspect.
“A lot of
people think it’s
just locking up
Photos by Gabriele Holtermann
bad guys in handcuff s, but it’s
a lot about life-saving actions,”
Cermeli said. “It’s so important
now more than ever that people
realize what the police department
is all about, and we’re
about helping people.
Th at’s our main
concern.”
He encouraged
everyone
to say
“hello” or
“ t h a n k
you” to a
police officer
and reiterated
that
“we’re here to
help you, and
we will always
respond on
your behalf, and
we will always have
your backs and
protect you.”
Assemblywoman
Catalina Cruz
handed out a
slew of New York
State Assembly Certifi cates of
Merit to community members,
including Ceremeli, Detective
Saponieri and members of the
110th Community Council.
She pointed out that the 110th
Precinct played an integral part
in handing out 200,000 bags of
food during the height of the
COVID-19 pandemic and that
the precinct organized a poker
tournament to raise money for
the community.
“As soon as the pandemic hit,
Deputy Inspector Cermeli
came to me and said, ‘How can I
help you?’ And so those 200,000
bags of food that we gave out, we
didn’t do it alone,” Cruz said.
President of the 110th
Community Council Al Perna,
which helped organize the event,
acknowledged Cermeli’s promotion
with a plaque from the council.
“Th is is a big promotion for the
community. He’s always for us,”
Perna said. “We’re always here for
the community. Remember that,
guys. You go by your precinct,
you see a police offi cer, say ‘hello,’
say ‘thank you for your service,
thanks for keeping us safe.’”
A few miles further away, the
109th Precinct — which encompasses
Downtown Flushing,
East Flushing, Queensboro
Hill, College Point, Malba,
Whitestone, Beechhurst and Bay
Terrace — celebrated National
Night Out with pony rides, cotton
candy, slides and amusement
rides.
Commanding offi cer Captain
John L. O’Connell said that the
109th Precinct did a great job
reaching out to the community
all year around, and enjoyed the
great turnout.
“It feels a little bit back to normal
to see so many people here,
and it’s refreshing,” O’Connell
said, “Th e best part is that there
are so many kids here. Th at’s the
key to me: the youth turnout.
Th at’s what you really want — to
develop those relationships with
the kids.”
Assemblywoman Catalina Cruz presents a certifi cate of Merit to Deputy
Inspector Jonathan Cermeli, the commanding offi cer of the 110th
Precinct.
A dance group entertains the crowd with an Ecuadorian dance at National
Night Out hosted by the 110th Precinct.
Members of the 110th Community Council fi re up the grill at National Night
Out.
Al Perna, president of the 110th
Community Council, presents a
plague congratulating Commanding
Offi cer Jonathan Cermeli to his promotion
as deputy inspector.
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