WHO’S OUT TO RIP ME OFF? Captain Shanley (Commanding Officer of the 104th Precinct) wants the JPCA to warn people of two scams that could hurt you financially if you are victimized:

1:You could receive a letter through the US Mail that notifies you that you won a lottery for a large sum of money, perhaps up to $10 Million. Accompanying the letter is a certified, or bank check for a large sum, for example,$5,000.You are instructed to deposit this check in your account, and then send a check for $4,200 to the “Lottery Officials” to settle your tax liability. You are told that once the Lottery gets the tax payment from you, the balance of your winnings will be released to your account. Well, you guessed it correctly! The first check to you for $5,000 bounces, so therefore,your tax payment bounces too! If your check doesn’t bounce, the “officials” have your money. Your bank demands that you make good on all the checks. You lose your good credit rating and your money!

Also, residents should be on the alert for two burglars – a dark skinned male with a dark skinned female (both either Hispanic or Black) pushing a shopping cart and giving the impression of collecting deposit bottles. In fact, these two have been identified as the team that burglarized two Middle Village homes very recently. The basement windows you never secured and your bad habit of leaving your back door unlocked become the means that this pair uses to access your house. They actually depend on a resident’s negligence to enter a home to burglarize. So,what should you do? First, take care of the insecure entrances to your home. (Phone the 104th Precinct to request a home Security Survey from a trained police officer.) Second, phone 911 if you see this pair in your neighborhood. Also,phone 911 if anyone enters your property because no one has the right to enter your property at any time for any reason without first obtaining your permission.

There is one more police matter that warrants your attention. You are probably aware Captain Scott Shanley now of the lawsuit brought by the Juniper Park Civic Association against the New York City Department of Parks. Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe, despite the fact that there is a NYC Health Code 161.05 that states that dogs are to be leashed 24/7 when in a public place, has instituted a “courtesy leash policy” whereby dog owners can have their dogs unleashed in city parks from 9pm to 9am,twelve hours a day. One glaring fact that this canine mentality disregards is the Federal Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) which mandates – without any exception, that all disabled people have full and unfettered access to our tax paid parks at all times. With large, unleashed dogs a threat in the parks for twelve hours a day, the disabled are definitely compromised in their right to park use. In the annual audit of the NY City Parks Department State Comptroller Alan Hevesi has already chastised the Parks Commissioner for neglecting his ADA responsibilities for the past three years.

It should be noted that at the August 29th Queens Supreme Court hearing,the City Attorney,Paula Van Meter, conceded that the Parks Department’s “unwritten” rule about non-enforcement of the NY City Health Department’s Leash Law governed only Enforcement staff of the Parks Department. It has no force over the NYPD or the NY Sanitation Department.

SAFETY TIP

If your have a remote triggered car alarm…Put your car keys beside your bed at night.If you hear a noise from someone trying to get in your house, just press the panic button for your either you turn it off or the car battery dies.This tip came from a neighborhood watch coordinator. Next time you come home for the night and you start to put your keys away ,think of this: It’s a security alarm system that you already have and requires no installation. Just press the panic alarm on your car key chain. Test it. It will go off from most everywhere inside your house and will keep honking until your battery runs down or until you reset it with the button on the key chain. It works if you park in your driveway or garage. If your car alarm goes off when someone is trying to break in your house, odds are the burglar or rapist won’t stick around….after a few seconds all the neighbors will be looking out their windows to see who is out there and sure enough the criminal won’t want that. Try yours to make sure it works before you rely on it. Just know that you must press the alarm button again to turn it off. And remember to carry your keys while walking to your car in a parking lot. The alarm can work the same way there. This is something that should really be shared with everyone. Maybe it could save a life or a sexual abuse crime.

HOW CAN I CONTACT CAPTAIN SHANLEY?

If you would like to talk to Captain Shanley about any police matter or concerns you have in your neighborhood, feel free to attend a monthly COP104 meeting, held on the 3rd Wednesday of each month at locations throughout the precinct 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 Captain of incidents and problems in your neighborhood.

Also, you can e-mail the Captain at adm104@gw.nypd.org.

For USPS Mail, write the captain at:
104th Police Precinct
64-02 Catalpa Ave
Ridgewood, NY 11385-5257

If you are interested in participating in civilian patrol of the community, phone GCOP/104COP at 718-497-1500.

Do you have questions or comments for Captain Shanley 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 Captain Shanley and publish his reply in the next issue.