O’Neill talks pot reform at town hall
Centerpiece of conversation with commish over better police-community relations
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
Hundreds of southeast
Queens residents filled the
Queens Library Central
Plaza Monday evening for an
open, truthful dialogue with
NYPD Commissioner James
P. O’Neill on the legalization
of marijuana and building
trust and strengthening the
relationship between the
NYPD and community.
The Southeast Queens
NYPD Public Safety Town Hall
with O’Neill was organized by
City Councilman Donovan
Richards, chair of the New
York City Council Public
Safety Committee. Richards
was joined by NYPD officials,
Councilwoman Adrienne
Adams, Councilman I. Daneek
Miller, Congressman Gregory
Meeks and Borough President
Melinda Katz.
“Tonight’s meeting is
an example of how we can
break down barriers of
communicating between
police and communities to
make our neighborhoods
the best they can be,” said
Richards. “We may not always
agree on how we get there,
but we can never stop talking
because the best path forward
is often found in the middle
ground of a disagreement.”
According to Richards,
over the last year and a half,
community lawmakers have
worked together with the
NYPD to reduce marijuana
NYPD Commissioner James O’Neill speaks at the Southeast Queens town hall discussion forum on May
6 at Queens Library Central. Photo: Carlotta Mohamed/QNS
arrests and summonses,
improvement of the Special
Victims Division, an increase
in transparency in the NYPD’s
internal discipline system,
and the construction of a
new 116th Precinct planned
for Rosedale.
A topic of discussion
in the forefront, audience
members asked O’Neill
about the legalization of
recreational marijuana.
“I know that marijuana
is becoming legal and all of
that, but do we have to smell
that every place we go?” said
Cynthia Hall, who has been
living in the community for
42 years.
Another resident who
is opposed to legalization
of marijuana asked, “Why
should we legalize it?”
According to O’Neill,
his biggest concern about
the possibility of marijuana
becoming legal in New York
state is driving under the
influence, noting there is
no instantaneous test for
marijuana like there is
for alcohol.
“I have a number of
concerns now. In all the states
where it’s legalized, it’s not
legal under 21 and we’ll have
that challenge,” he said. “The
black market where people
are selling it illegally, what do
we do then? Moving forward
hopefully we’ll be able to
address that.”
The NYPD has changed
their internal rules and
regulations as far as
enforcement with possession
and summonses, burning
in public (depending on a
person’s criminal history),
which O’Neill said, is now a
summons too.
“Do I want to lock up
some 16- or 17-year-old kid for
smoking weed that doesn’t
have a criminal history? I
don’t want to do that. I don’t
want to burden them with a
criminal history like that.
But sometimes we do have to
arrest people depending on
who they are and what they’re
involved in,” said O’Neill.
According to Richards,
who supports the
decriminalization of
marijuana, the Southeast
Queens community has led the
city with 10 years of marijuana
summonses and arrests.
“Council member Miller
and myself and colleagues
have done a lot of work to
reform marijuana here in the
way it’s policed here in our
community,” said Richards.
“It’s important to recognize
that people across all races
smoke marijuana at the same
rate, but 86 percent of the
rest and summonses were in
communities of color. We have
to work to reform that. We
know it’s a delicate balance
when you’re talking about
quality of life.”
Other residents brought
forth the past history of police
interactions in the community
and how to approach an officer
for support without fear of
being mistreated.
“Based on the Critical
Intervention Training, if they
still have their biases and
maybe slight racism, I don’t
know because some people
do, what do you do with those
types of officers who don’t
know how to be respectful?”
said Allison Belmosa, of St.
Albans, who experienced an
unpleasant encounter with a
police officer in 2010.
Commanding Officer of
the 113th Precinct, Inspector
Jerry O’Sullivan, said they
have made changes and will
continue to do so.
“We don’t tolerate people
being spoken to disrespectfully
at our precinct. I’ve addressed
that on many issues and we’ve
come a long way. With the
NCO officers, there would
not be NCO officers if I feel
that they’re well rounded.
We have to lead by example.
I’m not going to allow anyone
to be disrespected. We
won’t tolerate it, and I won’t
tolerate it.”
Another resident asked,
“What is the NYPD doing to
recruit more ethnic groups
and backgrounds to have
more representation in
communities that they police?
As a young black man, I feel
like when you do see a police
officer, no matter how nice
or respectful you are, it feels
more comforting seeing
someone who looks like you.”
O’Neill noted the diversity
of the NYPD and recruits that
join the department to serve
in communities.
“They go up through the
ranks and it’s getting better
and better,” said O’Neill.
“You have to have a police
department that reflects the
diversity of the city or else
you’re not going to get to
build trust.”
In regards to the stop-andfrisk
protocol by the NYPD,
Miller said, “They weren’t
doing well, but they’re now
definitely on course and doing
better building a relationship
not only with the leadership of
the NYPD, but with the police
officers in the community.”
Adams encouraged the
community to continue to
have a dialogue with the police
officers and to participate in
the NCO meetings.
“What I hear a lot in our
community is we’ve got issues
and we’ve got a history with
law enforcement that is not
a pretty history and with
history comes baggage, and
with baggage comes a time
of healing,” said Adams.
“I’m going to encourage my
beautiful black and brown
community and everything in
between to begin the healing
process on your own. Start to
engage with our partners in
the NYPD. We are not their
enemy and they’re are not
our enemy. They are here
to lawfully to protect and
serve you.”
Reach reporter Carlotta
Mohamed by email at
cmohamed@schnepsmedia.
com or by phone at
(718) 260–4526.
Deputy Inspector Neteis Gilbert, commander of the 105th Precinct,
addresses the audience at Monday’s town hall meeting.
Photo by Bruce Adler
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