It takes various members of the NYPD, all with very different – but equally important – roles, to fight crime across the city. Captain Khandakar Abdullah, commanding officer of the 69th Precinct, recognized these dedicated officers and awarded four of them with Cop of the Month awards, at the March 29th meeting of the 69th Precinct Community Council. He also introduced a new team that is working specifically to get illegal guns off the street.
The captain introduced four members of the “Neighborhood Safety Team,” a new team responsible for fighting gun violence in Canarsie. The NYPD recently rolled out the program that has officers focused in about 30 precincts and housing complexes across the city where the vast majority of shootings occur. A short video explained the new concept as a “reimagined, redesigned approach to suppressing violent street crime.”
Officers are extensively vetted, hand selected and highly trained – they undergo 50 hours of training over a seven-day period, including methods such as conflict resolution and de-escalation. In addition to removing illegal guns off the street, the team will address all crime conditions that impact public safety and quality of life, by developing strong lines of communication with the community.
These officers can be recognized by their modified NYPD uniforms, with clear markings identifying them as police officers. They will be equipped with body-worn cameras, and their patrol cars will have dashboard-mounted cameras.
Abdullah thanked the various teams, helping to reduce crime in Canarsie, from the NCOs and YCOs to the field intelligence and auxiliary officers. He introduced Executive Officer Jared Badillo who joined the precinct one month ago. Badillo is responsible for overseeing the traffic safety and domestic violence programs.
Crime in the subway has everyone on edge, and Transit District 33 Executive Officer Christopher Moran gave some tips for subway riders. (Transit District 33 covers two stops in the 69th Precinct: Rockaway Parkway and East 105th Street). He said riders, who have their phones and laptops out, should be careful of their surroundings, as criminals are looking to snatch their belongings when they are not looking. These crimes typically occur when the train is pulling into the station and the doors are open. Moran advised that his officers are riding the trains, stationed on the platforms and are in plainclothes to help keep the subways safe.
Abdullah gave an update on crime in Canarsie, stating that the 69th Precinct is struggling in crime, as is the rest of the city. The majority of crimes in the area are grand larceny and grand larceny auto theft. The area has also seen some robberies, but murders are down. “We’ve had seven shootings this year, the most recent being on March 21st on East 108th Street and Glenwood Road,” he reported.
He admitted that Canarsie accounts for a lot of the shooting incidents in Brooklyn South. “This is why we have received the Neighborhood Safety Team. We will never stop fighting for New Yorkers; we are going to be relentless until every block in the city, not just Canarsie, is safe,” Abdullah vowed.
A poster board containing pictures of some of the guns taken off Canarsie streets in 2022 was shown to the audience. “Twenty-six guns were taken off the streets, and 30 individuals were charged with possession of illegal guns. “Every bullet is a potential life saved,” Abdullah said.
Items stolen from local stores are a problem, and the Rite Aid on Rockaway Parkway and Seaview Avenue is no exception. The captain said that officers recently apprehended an individual, who had been arrested 135 times, caught stealing from the store.
Another example of great police work involved four officers who chased down a car thief and apprehended him in the 67th Precinct. “They were able to track the car with the victim’s phone inside the vehicle,” Abdullah explained. “A lot of great work being done by our officers.”
Abdullah presented Officers Brianna Parker, Andre Morris, Yhayh Saleh and Viviana Segovia with Cop of the Month awards for apprehending two criminals in possession of illegal guns.
On Tuesday, February 8th, at approximately 7:44 p.m., Officers Parker and Morris were in the vicinity of East 84th Street and Glenwood Road when they heard the sound of gunfire. Officer Parker, who was driving an unmarked car, made a U-turn and headed toward the area where the shots were coming from. They observed a white car speeding away from the scene and tried to make a car stop, but the driver of the vehicle refused. That set off a pursuit, starting from East 83rd Street and Glenwood Road, ending on East 103rd Street and Seaview Avenue.
Abdullah said, “Officer Parker did an excellent job behind the wheel to keep up with the fleeing vehicle, while Officer Morris took such great initiative in giving clear, concise directions over the radio for all units in the field to apprehend the fleeing vehicle. Patrol cars headed toward the Belt Parkway and the Canarsie Pier in the event that the fleeing vehicle made its way to the Belt Parkway.”
The fleeing vehicle crashed into NCOs Saleh and Segovia’s marked car, and the two perpetrators tried to flee. After a brief pursuit, they were apprehended and two illegal firearms were recovered. Shortly thereafter, it was determined that the two perpetrators were responsible for the shooting on East 82nd Street and Glenwood Road.
“Not only were two illegal firearms taken off the street, but two violent gang members were apprehended and brought to justice with minor injuries sustained by our officers,” Abdullah said, also stating that he was glad to see the two injured officers, Saleh and Segovia, back on duty.
The next meeting of the 69th Precinct Community Council will be held at the Hebrew Educational Society, 9502 Seaview Avenue, on Tuesday, April 26th at 8 p.m.