November 2009 Meeting Minutes

70th Precinct Community Council
November 2009 Meeting Minutes

E-mail: 70PctCC@gmail.com
Blog: http://70PctCC.blogspot.com
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Wednesday, November 18th, 2009
7:30 PM
United Cerebral Palsy New York
175 Lawrence Street, Brooklyn, New York
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Officers Present

Ed Powell, President
Beverley Kilpatrick, Vice President
Rosanne Boland, Treasurer
Mary McRae, Secretary
Nathan Thompson, Assistant Secretary
Mavis Theodore, Sergeant-at-Arms


NYPD, Elected Officials & Other Guests

Inspector Ralph Monteforte, Commanding Officer
Captain Giovanelli, Executive Officer
Det. Dominick Scotto, Community Affairs
P.O. Kim Walker, Community Affairs
Lt. Jacqueline Bourne, Community Affairs
Doris Ortíz, District Manager, Community Board 14
Chaim Deutsch for Council Member Mike Nelson
Harvey Rosenholtz for Council Member Kendall Stewart
Shawn Campbell for Assembly Member Jim Brennan
Roz Sokol for Assembly Member Steven Cymbrowitz
Eli Slavin for Congresswoman Yvette Clarke
Wendy Ann Powell for Assembly Member Rhoda Jacobs
Pinny Ringel for Council Member Simca Felder
Asghar Choudry, Pakistan American Merchants
Elaine Beal, District Attorney’s Office
David Kleistick, District Attorney’s Office
Fr. Michael Perry, 70th Precinct Clergy Liaison
Rev. Jean Beaulieu, 70th Precinct Clergy Liaison
Maria Hazelwood, East 21st Street Block Association
Bob Moskowitz, Flatbush Shomrim


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The regular meeting of the 70th Precinct Community Council was called to order at 7:50 p.m. President Ed Powell greeted all and invited everyone to join him in the Presentation of Colors by the 70th Precinct Explorers followed by the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance. President Powell then acknowledged the various representatives of elected officials and other distinguished guests present at the meeting (see above).

1. Message from Council Member Kendall Stewart – Harvey Rosenholtz
Council Member Kendall Stewart wanted to thank everyone for their support throughout the years; he also spoke to Council Member-elect Jumaane Williams and asked him to support the 70th Precinct. As a resident of the 70th precinct he understands and respects the difficult job the 70th Precinct does every day.

2. Message from Assembly Member Steven Cymbrowitz – Roz Sokol
On behalf of Assembly Member Steven Cymbrowitz, Roz Sokol expressed deep appreciation for all that the 70th Precinct does and wished everyone a healthy and happy Thanksgiving.

3. Pakistanian Merchants Association – Asgher Choudri represents the Pakistanian community for Brooklyn South and the 70th precinct. He commended Commander Monteforte for his concerns about their community. He also acknowledged his appreciation for Officer Shawn Lipstein and expressed that he will miss him very much.

4. Message from Doris Ortiz. C.B. 14 District Manager Doris Ortiz greeted everyone and assured the council that she is always there to support the council, Inspector Monteforte and 70th precinct. She acknowledge Sgt. Jovita Richardson as a great person to work with and a wonderful community affairs officer and wished her well on her promotion and many more years of happiness in the police department. She also acknowledged her special friend P.O. Shawn Lipstein whom she knows on a personal and professional level. She said that she will miss officer Lipstein tremendously. He has always been there when she needed him. May his retirement bring him many more years of happiness and good health.

5. President Powell took a moment to thank Flatbush Shomrim for their continuing support of the council.

6. Report from the Commanding Officer. Commander Monteforte acknowledged our clergy liaisons in the community. He also announced that awards will be presented for; graffiti clean-up, getting guns off the streets, running into a burning building and taking out children, retirement and promotions. He stated that he was lucky to be working with this group of cops in the precinct and lucky to be working with this community.

Awards:

SergeantTom Kennedy, Anti Crime
Officer William Fields
Officer Jason Rosciano
Officer Irene Guevara
On Thursday, October 29th, 2009 at 4:20 p.m. the officers were on patrol when they heard shots being fired on Flatbush Avenue and Albemarle Road. They saw a group and a male with a firearm was running from the group. Sgt. Kennedy and Officer Fields joined in on foot pursuit. The chase went on for three blocks. He made a U turn and Officer Rosciano and Officer Guevara were able to corner the individual. After an intense heated standoff the individual complied with the officers’ commands and dropped a loaded .380 caliber firearm. Because of the professionalism of the officers involved, there were no injuries.

Officer Robert Clark
Sergeant Walter Roberts, Anti-Crime
Officer Leonard Clarke
On Thursday, September 10th, 2009 at 10:30 p.m. Sergeant Roberts and Officer Clark were traveling northbound on Ocean Avenue when they observed two suspicious males coming out of 485 Ocean Avenue carrying a large knapsack. Observing what appeared to be the barrel of a rifle protruding out of the knapsack, they notified the anti crime unit for back up. Once the officers were there they took quick action and apprehended both perpetrators who were in possession of a .22 caliber assault rifle and a Tech 9 machine gun.

Officer Noor Mizbah
Officer Sheldon Lessey
At the end of the summer on a Saturday night after midnight while most people were sleeping a call comes over that someone was shot near East 14th Street and Avenue H. Without a description, these officers were driving around in the perimeter where they felt the bad guy might try to escape. They were on Coney Island Avenue and saw the perpetrator and his friend trying to get into a cab and then trying to get onto a bus. They realized that these two guys looked suspicious trying to get into a cab then onto a bus. They stopped them before they got on the bus and detained them as suspects in the shooting.

Sergeant Eddie Kraemer
Officer Timothy Stines
Last week at 3:00 p.m. the officers were in a pizzeria and observed smoke coming from a third floor window. Officer Stines escorted a woman and an infant out of the building while Sgt. Kraemer went to each floor to evacuate people who might have been trapped or overcome by smoke. After exiting the building both officers went back in with fire extinguishers attempting to put out the fire which was out of control. Sgt. Kraemer was treated for an injury to the face. In severe panic a parent ran into building thinking his child was inside. However, the child was not inside and the officers had to go back into the building to get the father out. Everyone got out of the building with only minor injuries to Sgt. Kraemer.

Officer John Labosco
Officer Damon McMillon
These are our graffiti officers in the precinct. Not only do they combat graffiti and lock up guys that commit graffiti, they are in our Conditions Unit. They lock up people for crimes ranging from the simplest offenses to gun collars. Since they have been in charge, they have doubled the number of arrests. They made about 77 arrests this year of graffiti artist. When they investigate graffiti, they have to identify the graffiti and find out the person that drew it, find out the signature or tag, go to the kids house and interview the parents, get the kids to come in and get confessions. He thanked them for taking the graffiti artists off the streets but also for helping the community look better. If you have any graffiti near your house or notice it on any property please notify the 70th Precinct. They will investigate and hopefully catch the individuals.

Maritza Barnett
Maritza works as a civilian employee of the 70th Precinct in charge of one of the most demanding units, the Crime Analyst Unit. The 70th Precinct raised and donated over $8,000 for this year’s Cancer Walk, held on October 18th. Maritza was one of the leaders and collected over $3,000 for the event.

Sergeant Jovita Richardson
Fifteen years as a police officer, she came on in 1994. She has been assigned to the 70th precinct since September 12th, 1994. She does not have one CCRB (Civilian Complaint Review Board) complaint, which is incredible. She has worked patrol as well as SNEU (Street Narcotics Enforcement Unit,) a unit that has been instrumental in taking drug dealers off the streets. She also worked in arrest processing, community policing and as a youth officer. She has been assigned as a community affairs officer since October of 2002. She has been instrumental is assisting the community with donations, family bereavements, holiday parties, and countless other community based activities. She was honored by her bosses, her peers, and the community as she takes her next step in her career in becoming a Sergeant. Commander Monteforte stated she will be truly missed. Commander Monteforte also acknowledged Leslyn Stewart, wife of slain officer, Dillon Stewart and thanked her for coming. Mrs. Stewart wanted to thank Sgt. Richardson for being a great support for her and thanked her for all that she has done.

P.O. Shawn Lipstein
Appointed to the police department October 15th, 1990 and assigned to the 70th Precinct on April 15th, 1991. He patrolled the streets of the 70th Precinct for many years and was unexpectedly drafted into the task force. After two months he was able to find his way back to the 70th Precinct where his heart belonged. Shawn was instrumental in the design and construction of the crime information center. It is a unit within the precinct that identifies the bad guys within the precinct’s boundaries. Instead of the cops going out blindly they know where to go and who to look for. Due to his managerial qualities, strong organizational skills and his ability to work together with others, he was assigned to supervise the command’s auxiliary police unit. Commander Monteforte stated that he will be missed tremendously; he is a great person, a great father, a great friend, he has a great family. Everyone at the 70th precinct wishes all the best to him and his family.

On behalf of Congresswoman Yvette Clark, Eli Slavin presented P.O. Shawn Lipstein with a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition for outstanding and valuable service to the community.

Council Member Elect Jumanne Williams thanked everyone for their support. He is excited to get started and working for the entire community. He stated that we are one community and we have to come together to make sure that it is the best community it could possibly be. He met with Council Member Stewart and believes that the transition will go smoothly. He congratulated Officer Jovita Richardson for her promotion and Officer Shawn Lipstein on his retirement.

Commander Monteforte acknowledged Father Perry and thanked him for his support. He also acknowledged David Kleistick from the DA’s office and explained his role in the DA’s office. He thanked him for his support because the bad guys are getting the proper sentences and this is another reason why crimes are down. Commander Monteforte acknowledged Captain Giovanelli and Captain Pascal of Brooklyn South and thanked them for their support.

7. Open Forum with Inspector Monteforte and Responses.

There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 8:52 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Mary McRae
Nathan Thompson