New Commanding Officer at 106th Precinct by Steve Mosco - The Queens Courier

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The torch – and the pin – was passed to a new leader at the 106th Precinct.

At its monthly meeting, a new Commanding Officer (CO) was introduced at the 106th Precinct in Ozone Park on Wednesday, November 10.

Deputy Inspector, and outgoing CO, Joseph Courtesis addressed those gathered at the meeting for the last time. He said that while the move is good for his career, he’s leaving with a heavy heart.

He spent more than three years at the 106th Precinct and said that he made some tremendous friends, not only at the stationhouse, but also in the community at large.

“This is my community and I tried to handle all complaints, big and small, with as much attention as possible. The effort was always there,” said Courtesis, who is moving on to the 105th Precinct in Queens Village. “This is a good move career wise, but it is bittersweet because I have to actually move on.”

The new CO, Captain Thomas Pascale, spent some time in 106 as a sergeant from 2000 through 2004, and feels that since he knows many people at the precinct his transition will be a smooth one.

“I feel like I got a great deal on a used car,” said Pascale, who received the CO’s pin from Courtesis. “A lot of the same people in key positions are still here and that will help with the learning curve.”

The captain then introduced the precinct’s Cop of the Month, Officer Kevin Desmoreau. At 9:30 p.m. on October 20, Desmoreau was performing anti-crime patrol on Sutter Avenue when he saw a suspicious male following two females.

Captain Thomas Pascale, Police Officer Kevin Desmoreau and Community Council President Frank Dardani

After stopping the suspect, Desmoreau frisked him and found a firearm. A struggle and foot pursuit followed, and ended with the Officer apprehending the suspect.

“Fantastic work,” said Pascale. “His work shows the phenomenal work that’s being done out there by officers such as himself.”

Upon further investigation, it was found that the suspect had a previous firearm charge against him. The Precinct will now track him to make sure he’s not involved with these types of illegal activities.

At the end of the meeting, Community Board 10 chair Betty Braton announced an outreach event being held at Aqueduct Racetrack on Friday, November 19. The Subcontractor Outreach Event for Minority, Women and Locally-Owned Business Enterprises (M/W/LBEs) will feature representatives from Resorts World New York and Tutor Perini Corp. They will provide substantial contractual opportunities to any interested M/W/LBEs who specialize in the building construction industry.

Those interested in attending should R.S.V.P. by Wednesday, November 17 at www.spectrumpcc.com/RWNYOutreach/rsvp.html.

Officers Honored for Breaking Up Large Fight in Ozone Park by Stephen Geffon -Leader-Observer

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Sergeant John Egan (center) was honored with the Cop of the Month award Community Council President Frank Dardani (left) and Deputy Inspector Joseph Courtesis

Sergeant John Egan of the 106th Precinct was honored with the Cop of the Month award for September at last week’s Community Council meeting for single-handedly saving a young lady from a large unruly crowd, according to Deputy Inspector Joseph Courtesis, commanding officer of the Precinct.

On Sunday, September 26, at 2 a.m., Egan was on his way home from work when he noticed a large crowd at Eckford Avenue and Centerville Street in Ozone Park. According to Courtesis approximately 40 to 50 individuals were fighting, with six or seven separate groups involved in the melee. Egan called 911 and requested backup. While awaiting backup, he observed that the fight had become increasingly more violent with the crowd hitting each other with milk crates, garbage cans and whatever else they could get their hands on.

Courtesis said that although Egan’s common sense told him to wait for more officers to arrive, the situation was getting more and more out of control. At one point the crowd broke the window of a vehicle and pulled a female out of the car and began to violently beat her with weapons. Egan couldn’t wait any longer. He waded into the crowd and pulled the alleged perpetrators off the girl and got her to safety. Egan then identified himself as a New York City police officer and requested that they all disburse the area. Courtesis said that at this point eight to ten perpetrators turned on Egan.

When backup arrived, Officer John Demauro, with the assistance of other officers, was able to arrest one of the alleged perpetrators who allegedly assaulted Egan. Courtesis said the suspect, who was held on $10,000 bail, was currently on probation in Florida for heroin trafficking. Egan received multiple injuries in the attack, and just returned to work on October 12.

“Sergeant Egan’s actions exemplify bravery at its highest, and I am proud to honor him as Cop of the Month,” said Courtesis.

Police Officer John Demauro was also honored by Inspector Courtesis and the 106th Precinct Community Council for his actions on September 26.

Police Nab Howard Beach Graffiti Perp by Stephen Geffon - Queens Chronicle

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Members of the 106th Precinct conditions team were honored Sept. 9 for their efforts in capturing an alleged graffiti vandal with the tag “Nick Nasty,” who had damaged numerous buildings in Howard Beach.

Police Officers Michael Baio, Frank Calafiore, Matthew Steiner, Andres Gonzalez, John Tripodi, Joseph Osolin and Sgt. Brian Goldberg received the Community Council’s August 2010 Cop of the Month award given by the precinct commanding officer, Deputy Inspector Joseph Courtesis and Council President Frank Dardani.

The vandal had defaced over 15 locations in Howard Beach during June and July, including the Bernard Fineson Developmental Center. The inspector said the graffiti “Nasty” put on buildings were sometimes very distasteful.

“He had to be stopped,” said Courtesis.

According to Courtesis, the perpetrator was upset about a recent breakup with his girlfriend and decided to defame her all over town.

The inspector said the suspect confessed to all of his graffiti crimes.

Courtesis said that during the evening of July 21, the officers stopped and questioned a group of young adults on Crossbay Boulevard who said they had videotaped the perpetrator tagging one of the businesses in Howard Beach.

At 156th Avenue and Crossbay Boulevard, the officers spotted an individual parked in a car. Courtesis said that when questioned, he said he had witnessed the graffiti vandal tagging the building and had noted the perpetrator’s license plate number.

Inspector Courtesis said that with the license plate number and the video in hand the officers were able to identify the graffiti vandal.

NYPD 106 Pct Community Council Meeting - September 8th - Cop of the Month Award...

The 106 Precinct Community Council met on September 8th...The Cop of the Month Award went to the Conditions Unit...

Cop of the Month Award
106 Pct Conditions Unit
September 2010
Deputy Inspector Joseph Courtesis and Community Council President Frank Dardani with the 106 Pct Conditions Unit...

Honorees:

Sgt Brian Goldberg

PO Andez Gonzalez

PO Matthew Steiner

PO Frank Calafiore

PO Michael Baio

PO Joseph Osolin

PO John Tripodi

Slideshow:

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Noise Complaints Have a Very Familiar Ring by Stephen Geffon - Leader-Observer

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Noise complaints topped the list of quality-of-life issues raised by residents at last week’s crowded 106th Precinct Community Council meeting in Ozone Park.

A resident of 128th Street in South Richmond Hill, who declined to give her name, pleaded with police for help in silencing the ear-splitting music coming from her next-door neighbor’s stereo every night. She added that another neighbor sits outside his house drinking rum and blaring his stereo on the street.

The resident told 106th Precinct commanding officer Deputy Inspector Joseph Courtesis that in the 29 years she has lived on the block it was never as bad as it is now. “We really need help here,” she said.

She added that one of the neighbors she was complaining about was fined $1,000 last year for the same offense, but he apparently forgot about the penalty the court imposed on him and picked up where he left off last summer. Courtesis said police officers would be dispatched to the location immediately.

But noisy neighbors don’t just live on 128th Street. A South Ozone Park resident living on 125th Street near 116th Avenue complained about loud music blaring from his neighbor’s residence. Courtesis said the problem would be addressed by police.

Suspicious persons

A Lindenwood resident asked for increased police patrols in the community in light of suspicious people in the area and reported break-ins in some of the condominium apartments.

Courtesis said if the co-op and condominium management companies would sign no trespassing depositions precinct officers would go into the buildings and question individuals in the hallways. Courtesis also requested a list of the tenants.

The resident also asked that police once again enforce the stop sign violations in the community as they did in February and March, as vehicles are again speeding through intersections, endangering pedestrians and other vehicles on the road.

Block parties

Courtesis explained that if there have been problems at the previous year's block party, the precinct will use this as documentation to refuse a block party permit. He noted that this year, out of about 100 requests for block party permits, about 30 were rejected.

The inspector said that many times block party organizers whose permit was rejected will bypass the precinct and community board 10 and contact the Mayor’s Office to try to get the rejection overturned. Courtesis said that he is then asked to explain why the permit was rejected, but recalls only one or two permits have been overturned.

Precinct-issued block party permits allow music until 7 p.m., with the block required to be reopened to traffic by 9 p.m. The permits have been issued for Saturdays only from June 15 to September 15. There are no rain dates.

In other news, Community Council President Frank Dardani reminded residents that National Night Out Against Crime will be held on Tuesday, August 3, beginning at 6 p.m. at Joseph P. Addabbo Park, located on 133rd Avenue between 81st and 83rd streets in the Tudor Village section of Ozone Park.

The 106th Precinct Community Council meets on the second Wednesday of the month, except for August and February, at the precinct station house, located at 103-51 101st St. in Ozone Park.

Read more: Leader-Observer - Noise complaints have a very familiar ring

Insensitive Graffiti Galls Couple by Tonia Cimino - The Queens Courier

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When she got the phone call, she was angry. But when she saw it for herself, she was appalled.

Pamela Baumann, who, along with her husband Andrew, founded New York Families for Autistic Children (NYFAC), said she was alerted to the graffiti on the Bernard Fineson Center in Howard Beach on Monday, July 12.

She passed by, with her 16-year-old autistic son, and both were shocked to read “Dirtnikki ♥s retards.”

“‘Mentally retarded’ is a thing of the past,” said Andrew. “It has such negative connotations. Graffiti is graffiti, but this – especially on that building – is terrible.”

In fact, said Andrew, the word “retarded” is so negative that the body under which Fineson – and NYFAC – run, the Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, has been changed to the NYS Office for People with Developmental Disabilities.

Pamela called Community Board 10, the 106th Precinct, State Senator Joseph Addabbo and City Councilmember Eric Ulrich.

106th Precinct Commanding Officer Deputy Inspector Joseph G. Courtesis assured her that “every single cop has been assigned” to look for the vandal.

And graffiti officer Frank Reina said that he is looking into it and may have some ideas as to who is responsible.

In addition, Reina said, the perp might have tagged other locations in the area, including the library, Blockbuster video and at 133rd Street and Cross Bay Boulevard.

The Baumanns are so upset over it; they have even vowed to paint over the graffiti themselves.

Great Police Work Thwarts Robbery by Tonia N. Cimino - Queens Courier

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A very proud Deputy Inspector Joseph G. Courtesis said that, due to great police work, “a robbery was likely avoided” on Sunday, July 4.

For his efforts, Officer Joseph LaMonica was awarded “Cop of the Month” honors at the most recent 106th Precinct Community Council meeting, on Wednesday, July 14.

“Fourth of July is a really rough date for us,” said Courtesis. “This year, it was Sunday and it was really hot. We expected to have a lot of outdoor activity.”

Command-wide, officers confiscated 19 “huge” bags of fireworks and gave numerous summonses.

LaMonica, who was patrolling along Cross Bay Boulevard in an unmarked vehicle, saw a suspicious-looking car, whose occupants were talking to six young girls (about 12 years old). When the vehicle executed an illegal U-turn, LaMonica stopped the driver; the passenger immediately exited the car and looked ready to run, said Courtesis. When LaMonica observed a black and silver firearm in the backseat, both men were arrested.

One of the suspects had eight priors, and had even been arrested two days before for robbing a girl’s cell phone, according to the Deputy Inspector. Additionally, the gun had been reported stolen from Alabama. After old business – including having cars towed on Sutter Avenue – was addressed, numerous attendees complained about noise.

“I’ve been in Richmond Hill for 29 years,” said one woman. “It’s never been like this.”

Though many were upset over decibel levels, Precinct Council president Frank Dardani assured them that, “there are still a lot of noise complaints, but a tremendous dent has been made and the officers should be commended.”

Community Board 10 chair Betty Braton echoed the sentiment.

“As of June 30, the end of the fiscal year,” she said, “The number of noise complaints for the 106 is down to a 2005 level.”

Other issues included running red lights and dangerous intersections, especially 107th Avenue and 111th Street and Liberty Avenue and 111th Street.

Community Affairs Officer Kenneth Zorn reminded those assembled about National Night Out Against Crime, on Tuesday, August 3 at the Joseph P. Addabbo Playground. There will be no Precinct Council meeting in August. For more information, call Officer Zorn at 718-845-2228

106th Precinct Cop of the Month - Police Officer Joe Lamonica

106th Precinct Community Council  President Frank Dardani, Police Officer Joe Lamonico and Deputy Inspector Joseph Courtesis (left-right)

 
Deputy Inspector Joseph Courtesis presented the Cop of the Month Award to Police Officer Joe Lamonica at the 106th Precinct Community Council meeting held on July 14th...

Noise Complaints Again Dominate 106th Pct Meeting by Stephen Geffon - Leader-Observer

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Thunderstorms and heavy rain did not deter community residents from attending last week’s meeting of the 106th Precinct Community Council to voice their complaints and ask the police for help.

A resident asked police to look into an unusual situation - cars driving on Crossbay Boulevard with their out-of-town plates affixed upside down. “We’ll keep our eyes open for that,” Lt. Joseph Salvato, commander of the 106th Precinct’s Special Operations unit, told the resident.

Another resident complained about cars driving through the community with their radios blaring. Although conceding that this is tough to police, Salvato said that precinct officers have issued multiple summonses for this noise law violation.

Deputy Inspector Joseph Courtesis, commanding officer of the 106th Precinct, added that if residents can specifically zero in on the location where the loud music is coming from, such as that the car is parked in a neighbor’s driveway, police officers would respond and take appropriate enforcement action. He added that police would also respond if cars are stopped and blaring loud music at a traffic light near a resident’s home.

A South Ozone Park homeowner complained that neighbors living on either side of her were operating auto repair businesses in the driveways of their homes for the last four years. he resident added that when the car engines have been repaired they are tested by being revved up to ear-splitting sounds

She also alleged marijuana sales at the same location near 149th Avenue and 114th Street. “It’s just getting worse,” she said

The resident’s husband said he remembers that it was so bad one summer because of the carbon monoxide fumes that he could not breathe.

Courtesis told the homeowners that he would address their problem, however, he asked for their patience since he said it would take police a little time because of certain legalities that they must go through.

Margaret Finnerty, president of the Richmond Hill South Civic Association, expressed her appreciation to Community Affairs Officer Brenda Bratcher for her recent presentation before the group. Bratcher discussed the procedures that the precinct was using to send letters to chronic noise violators.

“It’s (the letters) working, it’s starting to make an impact, I wanted to thank you,” Finnerty told Courtesis.

The letters, which were sent out by police to the homeowners/residents of the previously identified 2009 chronic noise locations, state in part that their residence has been identified as a chronic noise location by the police department.

The letter notes that numerous complaints (five or more) have been received regarding loud music from the residence and adds that all chronic locations will be monitored nightly and any violations of the City of New York’s noise code will be enforced. The letter warns that violators will be issued summonses and/or arrested, adding that stereo speakers and related sound equipment may also be confiscated.

Precinct Community Council president Frank Dardani reminded residents of the council’s National Night Out Against Crime to be held on Tuesday, August 3, beginning at 6 p.m. at Joseph P. Addabbo Park located at 133rd Avenue between 81st and 83rd streets in the Tudor Village section of Ozone Park.

The 106th Precinct Community Council meets the second Wednesday of every month, except for February and August, at the 106th Precinct station house located at 103-51 101st Street, Ozone Park.

106th Officer Honored for Interrupting Car Theft by Stephen Geffon - Leader-Observer

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Pictured are Frank Dardani (left), Officer Filip Glowa (center), and Deputy Inspector Joseph Courtesis.

Officer Filip Glowa of the 106th Precinct was honored with the Cop of the Month award for May at last week’s Community Council meeting for his arrest of three individuals allegedly in the process of stealing a motor vehicle, according to Deputy Inspector Joseph Courtesis, commanding officer of the 106th Precinct.

On Tuesday, May 25, at 11 a.m. Officer Glowa, who is assigned to the precinct’s Anti-crime Unit, was patrolling the southeastern portion of the precinct bordering the Van Wyck Expressway looking for auto theft suspects.

Courtesis said that on 134th Street between Sutter and 131st Avenues in South Ozone Park, Officer Glowa observed three men attempting to load a 2004 Ford Focus onto a tow truck. The inspector added that Glowa, well aware that this area had seen a spike in auto thefts, decided to investigate further.

He asked the individuals what was wrong with the vehicle and why it was being towed. One of the individuals claimed it was his car and he was having it removed from his property. According to Courtesis, the tow truck operator produced an MV-35 signed by one of the individuals who was at the scene. The inspector explained that an MV-35 is a state motor vehicle form prepared when an individual does not have the car’s title.

Courtesis said Officer Glowa felt something was wrong, since it is common for scrappers to forge the MV-35s and bring the car to a dismantler, where it can be cashed in for the weight of the metal in the vehicle.

The inspector said that during Glowa’s investigation the true owner of the vehicle came home and wanted to know why his vehicle was being loaded onto a tow truck.

The three individuals were arrested. Courtesis said the tow truck operator had 11 prior arrests and was on parole until 2016, and had seven prior auto theft arrests. The inspector said the second individual had eight prior arrests, five of which were violent felony arrests. Courtesis said the individual who was claiming that the car was his had seven prior arrests.

Nabes Lindenwood Turning into a Speedway by Stephen Geffon - Leader-Observer

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Cars speeding through four-way stop signs without stopping, narrowly missing other vehicles and pedestrians in the Lindenwood section of Howard Beach, was a concern voiced by neighborhood residents at last week’s meeting of the 106th Precinct Community Council in Ozone Park.

One resident, who didn’t give his name, said the problem is the worst between 1:30 and 4:30 p.m. during the week when parents are picking up their children from P.S. 232 in Lindenwood. “We need a little more patrol,” he said.

According to the resident, vehicles going north on 79th, 80th and 81st streets between 156th and 149th avenues are not stopping or even slowing down at the four-way stop signs at those locations.

He added that cars driving on the Conduit north of Lindenwood are going about 60 mph. “Coming out of Lindenwood to get into the flow of traffic I get up to 40 (mph) and they pass me like I’m standing still,” he said, adding, “somebody’s going to get killed over there.”

Deputy Inspector Joseph Courtesis, commanding officer of the 106th Precinct, noted that the precinct is up nine percent in issuing summonses for hazardous driving compared to last year.

“In the last 28 days we wrote 1,082 hazardous driving summonses,” Courtesis said, adding that the traffic safety issues complained about are being heavily enforced by precinct officers. “It’s being enforced more with less personnel than it was last year.”

Courtesis promised the Lindenwood residents that their concerns would be addressed.

With the coming of summer also comes the noise complaints. Courtesis said he would be addressing these complaints with the police resources at his disposal.

The inspector said block parties are a big part of the noise problem. Therefore, this year, as was the case last year, the block party permits issued by the precinct will limit music until 7 p.m. with the block required to be opened to traffic by 9 p.m. The permits will be issued for Saturdays only from June 15 to September 15.

Commenting on the noise issue, Betty Braton, chairwoman of community board 10, said that one of the things that people don’t consider about the noise problem is the close proximity that people live to each other. An analysis she prepared of people living in the neighborhood showed that in some areas of the community over 75 to 80 people live on every acre.

“It’s not what is being played, it’s just the accumulation of noise and the number of people that it annoys,” she said, adding, “When we live on top of each other, we bother each other sometime, (so) we need to be conscious of what we are doing to our neighbors.”

Frank Dardani, president of the council, concurred with Braton. “We have to have consideration for each other too, if we are living that close,” he said.

Margaret Finnerty, president of the Richmond Hill South Civic Association, inquired about auto thefts in the precinct. Courtesis acknowledged that auto thefts were up in the precinct, and that during the last 28 days ten more cars were stolen compared to the same period last year. The area where the majority of these cars were reported stolen was from just north of the North Conduit, south of Rockaway Boulevard and the Van Wyck Expressway to 125th Street.

The inspector said that also in this area police were recovering cars that had been stolen from other parts of the city and dumped there. Courtesis added that last week five cars were reported stolen from in and around Tudor Village in Ozone Park.

According to Courtesis, this year the cars stolen were 2008 to 2010 models compared to none last year, with Toyota’s being the most popular among the thieves. “They’re looking for new cars,” he said

Courtesis said that Patrol Borough Queens South has recognized the precinct’s increase in auto larcenies, and among other support assigned 24 additional police officers on overtime to the precinct three days a week in an effort to combat the auto theft problem.

Another Gun Off the Streets by Stephen Geffon - Leader-Observer

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Police Officer Matthew Peters was honored with the 106th Precinct Cop of the Month award for April at last week’s Community Council meeting for his arrest of four individuals in possession of a loaded semi-automatic handgun, according to Deputy Inspector Joseph Courtesis, commanding officer of the 106th Precinct.

On Saturday, April 17, at 9:30 p.m., the 106th Precinct received several 911 calls of a large dispute at 134th Street and 105th Avenue in South Richmond Hill. Police Officer Matthew Peters and his partner were dispatched to the location.

On arrival at the scene, the officers observed a large group of males surrounding a parked white Toyota Camry creating a loud commotion. Upon spotting the officers, the individuals in the Toyota started to drive away and the group of males who had surrounded the vehicle started to disburse.

Peters and his partner followed and car and pulled it over on 105th Avenue. As they approached the stopped vehicle they observed that it was occupied by four males who appeared nervous and evasive. At this time, Officer Peters and his partner ordered the occupants out of the vehicle.

Peering into the Toyota the officers observed a 9mm semi-automatic handgun on the floor in the rear of the vehicle, said Courtesis. The inspector said the four males, whose ages ranged from 15 to 20 years of age, were placed under arrest for possession of the loaded firearm.

“The actions of Officer Peters and his partner not only took the loaded semi-automatic firearm off the street, but based on our intelligence we believe that they most certainly prevented a shooting and most likely a homicide at that location,” said Courtesis.

NYPD 106 Precinct Cop of the Month for April 2010...

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The NYPD 106 Precinct Cop of the Month for April 2010 is PO Matthew Peters - He is joined by Community Council President Frank Dardani and Deputy Inspector Joseph Courtesis...

Holocaust Survivors Recount and Reflect by Stephen Geffon - Queens Chronicle

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The members of the Rockwood Park Jewish Center in Howard Beach held their annual Yom Hashoah Holocaust Memorial Service on Sunday morning to honor the survivors and the memories of the millions killed during the Holocaust of World War II.

Holocaust survivors Nathan Berkowitz, Martin Braun, Rita Guttsman, Senta Seligman, Henry Rothman and Julius Rafalowicz were escorted into the room by the New York City Police Department Honor Guard and Auxiliary Lieutenants Shlomo Rizel and Robert Danor. The guests of honor lit six candles in memory of the six million Jews who were killed in the Holocaust.

Rockwood Park Jewish Center Rabbi Tzvi Berkowitz also gave a special tribute to Max Ripinsky, a Holocaust survivor, who passed away last week. “Max, we will never forget you,” Berkowitz said.

The program’s guest speaker was Edward Weinstein, a survivor of the Treblinka death camp in Poland, and the author of an autobiography about his ordeal entitled, “17 Days in Treblinka: Daring to Resist and Refusing to Die.”

Weinstein, 86 — who is believed to be the last Treblinka survivor still alive — recounted some of the horrors he had experienced, beginning with his dispossession from his home in Losice, Poland, 90 miles east of Warsaw, and deportation to Treblinka in August 1942.

Weinstein described the two-day train trip to the camp, one in which temperatures climbed above 100 degrees — but people were given no water. Cattle cars arrived in towns and people were packed inside of them. Many died of suffocation and those who jumped off the cars to escape were shot. The train stopped in Treblinka, 62 miles away from Warsaw. Weinstein said that within two hours of arriving in Treblinka, the people who filled 20 cattle cars had died.

Throughout his time in the German concentration camps and work details, Weinstein escaped six times. He recounted how he lost many friends and relatives, and how he himself miraculously survived a gunshot wound to the chest by a German SS concentration camp guard.

Weinstein eventually did escape, hiding out for months in pigsties, forests and fish ponds until he was liberated by the Soviet Army in July 1944. He later joined the Polish army and fought on the frontlines for four months to help win back Warsaw.

Although the exact death toll is unknown, it is reported that fewer than 100 people survived Treblinka. There were 8,000 Jews in Weinstein’s hometown before the war. Only 16 made it back.

Weinstein emigrated to the United States in July 1949 with his wife and father. He is now a retired grandfather of seven who travels to high schools, libraries, colleges, synagogues and churches to give talks about his Holocaust experience.

Bernard Fisch, president of the Rockwood Park Jewish Center, introduced the dignitaries in attendance, including state Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr. (D-Howard Beach), Assemblywoman Audrey Pheffer (D-Ozone Park), Susan Tanenbaum, representing Queens Borough President Helen Marshall, Deputy Inspector Joseph Courtesis, commanding officer of the 106th Precinct, and Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-Queens and Brooklyn).

“We have to continue to have these commemorations so one generation to the next remembers the lesson,” Weiner said. “We demonstrate each and every year [so] that the stories like Mr. Weinstein’s are never to be forgotten.”

Pheffer presented Berkowitz with a resolution that she and Addabbo sponsored which proclaims April 11 as Holocaust Remembrance Day in New York State.

The resolution states in part: “The people of the State of New York should always remember the atrocities committed by the Nazis so that such horrors are never repeated,” and continues, “The Holocaust represents the darkest period in the civilization of mankind and must always be remembered in order to prevent its reoccurrence anywhere else in the world.”

Addabbo expressed how the proclamation and Yom Hashoah remembrances continue to be significant.

“It’s important that we have these ceremonies to remember because hate crimes on any level are wrong, whether it’s murder that occurred decades ago or whether it’s a hate crime that occurs right here on our soil,” Addabbo said. “Hate crime is wrong and cannot be tolerated.”

Tanenbaum echoed his sentiment. “We must be vigilant against anti-Semitism wherever it occurs in the world,” she said. “The next generation has the responsibility to tell these stories so that they are not forgotten.”

Courtesis said he felt honored to be at the ceremony with the Holocaust survivors. “The stories are incredible and moving — please keep telling the stories,” he said.

Cops Lauded for Arrest of Two Home Invaders by Stephen Geffon - Queens Chronicle

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Police officers Shawn Phillips and Steven Betts were honored last week with the 106th Precinct’s Cop of the Month award for March for chasing down and arresting two home invasion suspects also charged with shooting at their squad car.

The action began at 8 a.m. on Feb. 2 when police received a 911 call of a home invasion near 122nd Street and 150th Avenue in South Ozone Park. The victims were leaving their house to take their children to school when two gun-toting thugs pushed them back into their residence, tied them up and proceeded to rummage through their possessions, looking for valuables, according to Deputy Inspector Joseph Courtesis, the precinct commander. The suspects took a 42-inch television and made their getaway in a white car they allegedly had stolen earlier.

Officers responded to the scene and immediately broadcast a description of the suspects and their car. While Phillips and Betts canvassed the area, a second robbery was broadcast over the police radio. The description of the suspects in that incident appeared to be the same as in the first robbery. This time a female on her way to work was robbed at gunpoint at a bus stop. Courtesis said the victim not only provided a description of the alleged perpetrators, but also told officers the type of vehicle and its license plate number. Phillips and Betts spotted the car at 130th Street and Foch Boulevard.

When the officers attempted to stop the vehicle, the suspects took off instead. While Betts drove, Phillips broadcast the progress and location of the vehicle pursuit. Courtesis said the suspects drove erratically to evade capture. The pursuit lasted for three minutes, passed through three precincts and continued for five miles. At one point in the chase the passenger in the vehicle, whom the Queens District Attorney later identified as Darius Lowery, 22, of Ozone Park, allegedly began to wave a firearm out the window in an attempt to intimidate the officers into backing off, Courtesis said.

Lowery then allegedly leaned out the window and opened fire. Next, the suspects jumped out of the car and fled on foot, leaving the vehicle in gear. It crashed into multiple vehicles parked on the street.

While being chased on foot by Phillips and Betts, Lowery and the other suspect, Urban Fermin, 30, also of Ozone Park, allegedly spotted a resident outside his house and attempted to push him back into his residence. The victim, however, had already locked the door and put the keys in his pocket. The suspects then shot at the two officers, who were right behind them. Phillips and Betts returned fire and the suspects fled to hide in a nearby backyard.

Police quickly set up a perimeter. One of the suspects was apprehended in a backyard and the firearm was recovered. Police recovered a 42-inch TV from the vehicle and a handbag on the street near their car. After further investigation by the precinct’s detective squad, the second alleged perpetrator was apprehended. Courtesis said that both suspects are on parole.

In presenting the Cop of the Month Award to Phillips and Betts, Courtesis said, “These officers exemplify bravery at its highest standard.”

Prior to the Feb. 2 incident, the precinct had experienced a rash of gunpoint robberies that were similar in nature, according to Courtesis.

Since the arrest of the two suspects there is no longer such a robbery problem in the 106th Precinct, he said.

NYPD 106 Precinct Cop of the Month Award for March 2010...

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"Cops of the Month"...Police Officer Shawn Phillips and Police Officer Stephen T. Betts (center l-r) with Deputy Inspector Joseph Courtesis and Community Council President Frank Dardani...

Robbery Pattern has Queens Cops on Alert by Stephen Geffon - Queens Chronicle

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What appears to be a pattern of robberies involving livery and yellow cabs in South Richmond Hill and South Ozone Park has police keeping an eye out for at least two perpetrators.

Photo caption: The above suspect is wanted by the NYPD in connection with the robbery of four livery cab drivers. PHOTO COURTESY NYPD

The latest such incident occurred on Jan. 6 at 5:30 a.m. at 134th Street and Van Siclen Avenue, where a medallion taxi driver was robbed of cash by two black males. Deputy Inspector Joseph Courtesis, commanding officer of the 106th Precinct, said that five minutes later in the same area a second taxicab driver was also robbed.

“These guys are kind of dangerous. They’re violent,” Courtesis said.

Courtesis told members of the 106th Precinct Community Council at their meeting last week that police are starting to develop a pattern in connection with the taxi robberies and will deploy resources to the relevant locations. The perpetrators appear to be driving around and looking for taxicabs or livery cars that have pulled over in the middle of the block waiting for a call, then walking over and attempting to steal the car, Courtesis said.

He added that police have three cases in which livery cars have been stolen in such a manner and one case in which the culprits attempted to steal a cab.

According to police, the livery car thefts occurred on Dec. 22 at 4 p.m. at 120th Avenue and the Van Wyck Expressway in South Ozone Park; Dec. 31 at 1:30 p.m. in front of 116-28 128th St., South Ozone Park; Jan.1 at 8 p.m. in front of 104-75 128th St. in South Richmond Hill; and at 9 p.m. on the same day at 109th Avenue and 134th Street in South Ozone Park.

In a second emerging pattern, the suspects allegedly robbed two cab drivers, Courtesis said. Police have only a partial description of the suspects’ getaway car, which is reported to be silver. Witnesses were unable to give police the license plate number.

The crimes are being investigated in coordination with the 113th Precinct in Jamaica, which has a similar pattern. The case has been referred to the Queens Borough Robbery Squad for investigation.

Courtesis said he is going around to all the taxi stands in his precinct, alerting the drivers to the robberies and asking them to report to police any suspicious individuals that they see.

In the bordering 103rd Precinct detectives are looking for suspects wanted in connection with the robbery of four livery car drivers. On Dec. 27 at 1:48 a.m. a driver was held up by two males with a stun gun in front of 177-18 106th Ave. in Jamaica. Four days later, a second driver was robbed at the same location by a black male in his 30s with a knife who fled with his money. On Jan. 3 at 10 p.m. a cab driver was held up at knife-point by a black man in his 20s in front of 177-20 106th Ave. The suspect in that robbery was caught by a surveillance camera inside the cab. On Jan. 4 at 11 p.m. a black man in his 20s attempted to rob a cab driver with a knife. The driver was able to get away from the perpetrator.

Anyone with information in regards to the crimes is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-(800) 577-TIPS (8477) or text information to 274637 (CRIMES), followed by TIP577.

Cop Honored for Arrest of Alleged Armed Robber by Stephen Geffon - Queens Chronicle

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Police Officer Dominick DeStefano, left, Deputy Inspector Joseph Courtesis, center, and Community Council President Frank Dardani. Photo by Stephen Geffon

Police Officer Dominick DeStefano was honored last week with the 106th Precinct’s Cop of the Month award for December in recognition of his excellent police work by Deputy Inspector Joseph Courtesis, the commanding officer, and 106th Precinct Community Council President Frank Dardani.

Prior to the incident for which DeStefano was honored, the precinct had experienced six gunpoint robberies that were similar in nature, according to Courtesis. In each case, the perpetrator approached the victims and asked them for the time. At that point, he produced a silver firearm and robbed them.

In one incident, a female victim refused to give up her property and the perpetrator fired his gun in her direction and fled, Courtesis said. She was not hit and no bullets were recovered by police. In another robbery, Courtesis said the suspect took a purple cell phone from a 14-year-old girl.

On Dec. 19 at 2 a.m. DeStefano was flagged down by a resident at the corner of Lefferts Boulevard and Liberty Avenue in Richmond Hill. The resident told the officer that an individual had just pointed a gun at him. The victim rode with police while they canvassed the area. Five minutes later, the victim noticed the suspect walking down the street. Upon seeing the officers, the perpetrator fled, but was apprehended by DeStefano after a short foot pursuit and taken to the precinct, Courtesis said.

Officers located the silver handgun in the grass where the suspect had stopped. He was also found to have a purple cell phone in his possession.

Police suspected that the alleged perpetrator was involved in other robberies too. When the suspect was put into lineups he was picked out as the perpetrator in five of the six cases, including by the victim whom he allegedly shot at, according to the deputy inspector.

Courtesis added that the silver firearm turned out to be a starters’ pistol incapable of firing a projectile, which is why police did not find any ballistic evidence at the scene.

Hero Cop Tackled Attacker at Ozone Park Nightspot by Stephen Geffon - Queens Chronicle

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Sgt. John Egan, second from right, was presented with the 106th Precinct’s Cop of the Month award by his commanding officer, Deputy Inspector Joseph Courtesis, right, and 106th Community Council President Frank Dardani, second from left

In recognition of his excellent police work, Sgt. John Egan was honored with the 106th Precinct’s Cop of the Month award for December 2009.

On Friday, Oct. 30 at 2 a.m. Egan was at the precinct’s front desk when he heard a report on the police radio of an unruly crowd of more than 100 individuals in front of the Chemistry Lounge, located at 98-07 Liberty Ave., in Ozone Park.

Arriving at the scene, Egan witnessed an individual frantically swinging a knife at the crowd, which included police officers. Several cops with guns drawn ordered the suspect, who had already stabbed two people, to drop the knife.

The knife-wielder refused and continued to swing the weapon back and forth to clear a path for his escape. Egan, who by then had gotten behind the individual, tackled him, wrestled the knife from his hand and placed him under arrest.

“Sgt. Egan’s actions exemplify extreme bravery,” said Deputy Inspector Joseph Courtesis, adding, “He put his own safety at risk to protect his fellow officers [and the public].” Courtesis noted that considering the extreme situation, Egan probably also saved the alleged perpetrator’s life.

106th Precinct Community Council Meeting - November 11th, 2009

Deputy Inspector Joseph Courtesis (right) presented the Cop of the Month award to Detective Nathaniel Tauber (center) with Community Council President Frank Dardani (left)...