editorial 18 THE COURIER SUN • AUGUST 11, 2016 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.qns.com SNAPS QUEENS LITTLE BAY PARK IN BAYSIDE // PHOTO BY LIDS KEST FEIN Send us your photos of Queens and you could see them online or in our paper! Submit them to us tag @queenscourier on Instagram, Facebook page, tweeting @queenscourier or by emailing editorial@qns.com (subject: Queens Snaps). identify Honoring Karina with a safer Queens White ribbons now wrap tree trunks across Howard Beach in memory of Karina Vetrano, a young woman who was found brutally beaten, raped and murdered at a nearby park. No crime has rocked Queens like this since the murder of Kitty Genovese in Kew Gardens some 52 years ago. The circumstances are quite different; as it was reported, dozens of people knew of Genovese being attacked on a quiet street early one morning in March 1964 and did virtually nothing to save her life. Howard Beach residents, following this equally heinous crime, are demanding justice, but fi nding Karina Vetrano’s killer has been a diffi cult task. Her body was found hidden among tall weeds in a rather desolate park a good distance from the nearest street. There are no known security cameras nearby and few security lights near the park, which — as part of the Gateway National Recreational Area — serves more as a wildlife sanctuary than a recreational venue. This city and borough must double its efforts to protect women from becoming victims of violent crime. This starts by beefi ng up security at every recreational park. As ideal as it would be to have cops in every park, it’s an impractical solution. Security cameras, in our view, could make a major difference in keeping parkgoers safe. If a decent security camera were installed near the entrance to the park where Vetrano was murdered, there’s a good chance it would have at the very least caught a glimpse of a possible suspect. The camera’s presence alone may have caused the murderer to think twice about committing the crime. For years, Howard Beach residents living near the park have complained about the lack of proper lighting and visibility from the street. They urged the National Park Service and the city to do something to make things safer, but those appeals went unanswered. As is often the case, it took a major tragedy to place this issue under the proper spotlight. In the wake of this violent attack and with the killer still at large, women in Howard Beach don’t feel safe; some have taken to jogging or running in groups, defending each other from possible assault. No one should live in such fear in Howard Beach or, for that matter, in any Queens neighborhood. We believe that better lighting and security cameras should be installed not only at Gateway, but also at other parks across the city to protect visitors at all hours of the day. Until the day Karina’s killer is brought to justice, increasing security in our parks is the best way we can honor her memory. sun WWW.COURIERSUN.COM VICTORIA SCHNEPS-YUNIS JOSHUA A. SCHNEPS BOB BRENNAN ROBERT POZARYCKI AMY AMATO-SANCHEZ NIRMAL SINGH STEPHEN REINA RON TORINA, JONATHAN RODRIGUEZ, CHERYL GALLAGHER KATRINA MEDOFF, ANTHONY GIUDICE, ANGELA MATUA BRIANNA ELLIS KATARINA HYBENOVA CLIFF KASDEN, SAMANTHA SOHMER, ELIZABETH ALONI JACLYN HERTLING DEBORAH CUSICK WARREN SUSSMAN CELESTE ALAMIN MARIA VALENCIA VICTORIA SCHNEPS-YUNIS JOSHUA A. SCHNEPS PUBLISHER & EDITOR CO-PUBLISHER ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF VP, EVENTS, WEB & SOCIAL MEDIA ART DIRECTOR ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR ARTISTS STAFF REPORTERS DIGITAL EDITOR CONTRIBUTING REPORTERS EVENTS COORDINATOR ASSISTANT TO PUBLISHER SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE CLASSIFIED MANAGER CONTROLLER PRESIDENT & CEO VICE PRESIDENT Schneps Communications, 38-15 Bell Blvd., Bayside, NY 11361 718-224-5863 • Fax 718-224-5441 www.qns.com editorial e-mail: editorial@qns.com for advertising e-mail: ads@qns.com Entire Contents Copyright 2016 by The Courier Sun All letters sent to THE COURIER SUN should be brief and are subject to condensing. Writers should include a full address and home and offi ce telephone numbers, where available, as well as affi liation, indicating special interest. Anonymous letters are not printed. Name withheld on request. No such ad or any part thereof may be reproduced without prior permission of THE COURIER SUN. The publishers will not be responsible for any error in advertising beyond the cost of the space occupied by the error. Errors must be reported to THE COURIER SUN within fi ve days of publication. Ad position cannot be guaranteed unless paid prior to publication. VIctoria Media Services assumes no liability for the content or reply to any ads. The advertiser assumes all liability for the content of and all replies. The advertiser agrees to hold THE COURIER SUN and its employees harmless from all cost, expenses, liabilities, and damages resulting from or caused by the publication or recording placed by the advertiser or any reply to any such advertisement. this PLACE Photo: Katrina Medoff/THE COURIER
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