What do you do when you walk on your block and see a car parked like this?
Contact 311 immediately. Be prepared to give the location, color, make, and model of the vehicle. Have the plate number ready as well as the state. Do your best to describe why you believe the car is parked illegally.
In this case, notice that the car is partly on the sidewalk (illegal) and is blocking the crosswalk (also illegal). This illegally parked car poses a safety hazard. Among other things, kids walking down to school or the bus will think it’s OK to go around the back of the car, walking on the busy roadway.
If you have a digital camera (perhaps on your cell phone), take photos of the back, front and side of the car. Get as best a close-up of the windshield stickers as possible.
The police should respond to this call promptly. In this case, PO Delgado, the traffic enforcement officer at the 104th Precinct was on the scene rapidly. This vehicle got three tickets, and was towed. Likely the owner had to pay $500 or more to get the car back for this violation.
Oh, don’t pity this owner. He has no pity for the people on the block where he had the car blocking the fire hydrant for at least 4 days before tossing the tickets collected for that violation and moving his car to this corner!
The best part of this illegal car is seeing it on the back of that flatbed truck!
VANDALISM
The Parks Department is planting new trees in Juniper Valley Park. After dark, vandals are snapping them in two, or otherwise destroying them. At the May 20th COP104 meeting, Bob Holden reported the vandalism to Deputy Inspector Keith Green, and asked that the park patrols be alerted to look out for this damage and bring in the vandals. Park patrols should be increased in any event, since summer is arriving and the temptation is always to stay in the park long after closing (at 9PM). Ticket (and tow) the cars illegally parked on the perimeter of the park after 9PM. That will help.
I WOULD LIKE TO DO MORE. ANY SUGGESTIONS?
Yes. Attend the COP104 meetings, held on the 3rd Wednesday of each month. The locations for the meetings rotate throughout the Precinct so that all precinct residents have an opportunity at least several times each year to communicate with the Precinct Commander and various officers. All residents are always invited and welcome to attend any and all meetings throughout the year. Look for posters announcing the next meeting and its location. These meetings are useful to learn more about your community, and for you and your neighbors to inform the Deputy Inspector of incidents and problems in your neighborhood.
Are you interested in participating in civilian patrol of the community? Phone GCOP/104COP at 718-497-1500.
HOW CAN I CONTACT
DEPUTY INSPECTOR GREEN?
You can e-mail the Deputy Inspector at: adm104@gw.nypd.org.”
For USPS Mail, write the Deputy Inspector at: 64-02 Catalpa Ave, Ridgewood, NY 11385-5257.
Do you have questions or comments for Deputy Inspector Green that you want published in the next issue of this column? Just e-mail:
POLICEBEAT104@AOL.COM” or write this column at: Police Beat 104, C/O Juniper Park Civic Association, P.O. Box 790275, Middle Village, NY 11379.
We will keep your identity private if you request. If you request, we will forward your question or comment to Deputy Inspector Green and publish his reply in the next issue.
