New Deputy Inspector Joseph Courtesis. (photo by Stephen Geffon)Joseph Courtesis, the commanding officer of the 106th Precinct, was recognized by the Police Department for his crime-fighting efforts in the community when he was promoted to deputy inspector at a ceremony last Friday at One Police Plaza in Manhattan.
“I believe that we work for the people in the community,” Courtesis said, adding that residents are the eyes and ears of the police. “We get our best intelligence from the community, so when they speak I listen.”
Courtesis, a 16-year NYPD veteran who has worked in precincts in Brooklyn and Queens, has commanded the 106th since 2007. Beginning his career in 1993 in the 83rd Precinct in Bushwick, he was promoted to sergeant in 1998 and to lieutenant in 2001. He began a two-year tour as executive officer of the 106th Precinct in 2004, worked briefly as an executive officer in the 113th and returned to the 106th in 2007 as commanding officer.
The new deputy inspector said he has put noise abatement on the top of his to-do list. Courtesis created a precinct-wide database of chronic noise locations so precinct resources could be focused on them.
During his tenure as precinct commander, Courtesis has also focused on keeping overall crime down in the 106th. “That’s always a top priority to any precinct commander and it’s a top priority to me.”
Addressing quality of life violations is also vital, he said, since that helps reduce the number of robberies, shootings and other violent crimes. “If you take care of the little things, the big things will take care of themselves.”
His efforts have not gone unnoticed by the community.
“The promotion of Joseph Courtesis from captain to deputy inspector is well-deserved,” said Community Board 10 Chairwoman Betty Braton. “Deputy Inspector Courtesis works very well with the community to collaboratively address the many policing issues of concern to the residents of the 106th Precinct.”
Frank Dardani, president of the 106th Precinct Community Council agreed: “Courtesis is the most community-minded commanding officer we’ve had in a very, very long time.”
