For any New Yorker, the pictures and videos involving City cops were striking. Many had even gone viral shortly after they were posted.
This was Dec. 27, 2014. Not July 2019.
During the gut-wrenching Glendale funeral for hero NYPD Det. Rafael Ramos, dozens of fellow Finest turned their backs to Mayor Bill de Blasio as soon as he uttered the first syllable of his eulogy.
We said it back then and we’ll say it again now: Those cops deserve a standing ovation. Hizzoner deserves their backs.
Because he’s never had theirs.
In yet another stunning example of self-serving inaction, our fearless leader has shown that he’s more concerned with his spot on stage at the Democratic presidential debates in Detroit than he is with the safety of the men and women who have handed him—month after month, year after year—nothing but record lows in crime during his tenure in Gracie Mansion.
While police officers are being pelted with water and buckets—and demonstrating nearly saint-level grace and restraint in the aftermath—de Blasio is more interested in how he can use the NYPD’s recent achievements to his advantage nationally.
“What if the buckets of water were not filled with water? What if it was harmful liquid, like bleach or acid?” a concerned Assemblyman Mike Miller (D-Woodhaven) rightly observed.
“This is what happens with knee-jerk disrespect for police,” former Mayor Rudy Giuliani tweeted, laying blame for the brazen attacks at the feet of de Blasio.
“Our anti-cop lawmakers have gotten their wish: the NYPD is now frozen,” Police Benevolent Association President Pat Lynch said. “It’s not the fault of these police officers. It’s the end result of the torrent of bad policies and anti-police rhetoric that has been streaming out of City Hall and Albany for years now. We are approaching the point of no return. Disorder controls the streets, and our elected leaders refuse to allow us to take them back. As police officers, we need to draw a line. In situations like this, we need to take action to protect ourselves and the public. The politicians may not care about the dangerous levels of chaos in our neighborhoods, but police officers and decent New Yorkers should not be forced to suffer.”
Mr. Mayor, get your own house in order. Take care of the people who have been taking care of you before concerning yourself with a race to which you were never invited.
“Mayor de Blasio needs to allow police officers to do their jobs,” Miller added. “Why did these police officers feel inclined to walk away from the individuals who were harassing and taunting them and not make an arrest? The mayor needs to stand with police officers and make them feel empowered to do the job that they are trained to do- to protect and enforce the law.
Take the handcuffs off the police officers and let them do their jobs.”
Amen.

By Michael V. Cusenza

With help from area residents, the Woodhaven Cultural and Historical Society, the Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association, small business owners, Community Board 9, and City Councilman Bob Holden (D-Middle Village), the Woodhaven Business Improvement District over the weekend organized its first Community Cleanup.
On Sunday, participants swept, raked, and scooped up litter along Jamaica Avenue from Dexter Court down to 85th Street. The inaugural Community Cleanup joined recent graffiti removal efforts as the WBID looks to polish the historic thoroughfare during the crucial summer shopping season.
“Happy to join the Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association, Woodhaven BID and community members in their cleanup of Jamaica Avenue! It’s always great seeing folks volunteering to beautify their neighborhood,” Holden tweeted on Sunday. “Thanks for having me!”
According to the BID, the group achieved its goals for the event: “shining light on Jamaica Avenue’s litter plight, creating a sense of mindfulness among those who populate the avenue, bringing people together and of course improving the quality of the avenue.”

Official White House Photo by Joyce N. Boghosian

“Today, we come together as one nation to support our September 11th heroes, to care for their families, and to renew our eternal vow: Never, Ever Forget,” President Trump said.

By Michael V. Cusenza
President Donald Trump on Monday signed into law The Never Forget the Heroes: James Zadroga, Ray Pfeifer, and Luis Alvarez Permanent Authorization of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund. The act extends the VCF’s claim-filing deadline to Oct. 1, 2090, from Dec. 18, 2020, and appropriates such funds as may be necessary to pay all approved claims.
“We have already lost too many 9/11 heroes, and sadly, many more will become sick and die in the years to come. But now, because this bill is finally the law of the land, our 9/11 first responders, survivors, and their families can finally have some peace of mind as they continue to fight through their illnesses linked to the 9/11 attacks,” Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) said. “We will never forget the sacrifice they made for us, and I am grateful to every single person who helped pass this bill and to President Trump for signing it quickly into law.”
In February, VCF Special Master Rupa Bhattacharyya announced that due to a funding shortfall, injured and ill Sept. 11 responders and survivors would receive cuts to the awards that they were expecting of 50 percent for pending claims and 70 percent for future claims.
Trump’s signature on Monday ended award reductions and kick-started the process of restoring previously reduced awards.
“Today, we come together as one nation to support our September 11th heroes, to care for their families, and to renew our eternal vow: Never, Ever Forget,” the President said.
“This is a momentous day for the VCF and the 9/11 community, and we are extremely grateful for this show of confidence from Congress and the President,” Bhattacharyya said. “The entire VCF team is ready and eager to move forward into the next phase of this successful program with renewed energy and a reinvigorated clarity of purpose, and, as always, we remain dedicated to serving the needs of the 9/11 community.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer added, “Finally, nothing can get in the way of our first responders getting the help they are due and they very much need. It has been a long struggle, but because of the courage of the many who joined the cause, the memory of people like James Zadroga, Ray Pfeifer, Luis Alvarez and so many others will live on in this law.”
The bipartisan legislation to make the VCF permanent was re-named last month to add Sept. 11 first responders Luis Alvarez and Ray Pfeifer, who joined NYPD Det. James Zadroga, as honorees of the bill. Gillibrand noted that the original 9/11 Health and Compensation Act and its reauthorization were named after James Zadroga, a NYPD detective who passed away from cancer and other health problems linked to his time at Ground Zero. As of July 8, the legislation also honored City Police Det. Alvarez and City Firefighter Pfeifer, who fought for the Sept. 11 bill for years and spent the last months of their lives coming to Washington to urge members of Congress to make the fund permanent.
Alvarez succumbed to cancer on Saturday, June 29. In 2009, Pfeifer was diagnosed with Stage 4 kidney cancer; he passed away on May 28, 2017.

Photo Courtesy of NYPD

Investigators on Friday reached out to the public via Twitter for help in identifying and locating three men wanted in connection with a violent robbery last Monday in Lindenwood.
According to police reports, the three suspects (pictured) approached the victim around 12:30 a.m., punched him, and then “forcibly drove” him to a nearby bank where they compelled the victim to take out $300 from the automated teller machine. The trio fled on foot with the cash.
Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call (718) 520-9200 or the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at (800) 577-TIPS (8477); reference case #2019-114.

Photo Courtesy of Jenna DeAngelis/CBS New York

A cyclist was struck last Wednesday by an SUV near the intersection of Woodhaven Boulevard and Jamaica Avenue in one of two major accidents on Woodhaven Boulevard in a 30-hour period.

By Michael V. Cusenza
The inquiry is not exactly novel, but two violent traffic accidents roughly 30 hours apart this week has brought it back to the fore.
Is Woodhaven Boulevard the new Boulevard of Death?
With the original BOD, Queens Boulevard, enjoying an extended period of relative calm, it would seem that the Woodhaven thoroughfare is at least a candidate for the ignominious mantle.
On Thursday morning, a 56-year-old man was fatally struck in a hit-and-run on the southbound side of the boulevard near 91st Avenue. According to the New York Post, the victim was hit around 5 a.m., then the driver dragged the man’s dismembered body nearly 300 feet before peeling away. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.
“All day every day people fly through here,” Louis Calderon, a 49-year-old who owns a business on 91st Avenue, told The Post.
Last Wednesday morning, around 1 a.m., a cyclist was struck by an SUV near the intersection of Woodhaven Boulevard and Jamaica Avenue, police said. The motorist remained at the scene while the victim was rushed to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, where he was listed in critical condition. So far, no charges have been brought as a result of the incident.
“This accident occurred in my district,” City Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park) tweeted hours later. “Clearly more needs to be done to protect cyclists and pedestrians at busy intersections. @NYC_DOT should start by planning and installing safer bike lanes. The current network (or lack thereof) in South Queens is a big part of the problem.”

Photo Courtesy of the Katz Campaign

Borough President Melinda Katz launched her campaign for Queens DA in December 2018.

By Michael V. Cusenza
It’s official—for now, at least.
Following a recount, the City Board of Elections on Monday declared that Queens Borough President Melinda Katz beat upstart public defender, Tiffany Cabán, by a mere 60 votes.
Cabán has vowed to take the fight to court. But the BOE has indicated she has no case.
“The parties were given full, fair, open and transparent access to every step of these proceedings,” said BOE Executive Director Michael Ryan, according to the New York Post. “At the conclusion, the faith of the public will rest easy.”
Forest Hills native and resident Katz is already looking ahead.
“While it is everyone’s right to avail themselves of the judicial process, I urge all participants in this hard-fought election to come together and join me in beginning the hard work of reforming the criminal justice system in Queens,” she said in a statement.
Monday’s official declaration is the latest stop on what has been a wild rollercoaster ride of a race. Cabán shocked most pundits by seemingly striking an upset win way back on primary night on June 25. As of Wednesday, June 26, the Richmond Hill native led Katz by nearly 1,100 tallies following an election day marred by a paltry turnout (roughly 90,000 voters).
“We won the District Attorney’s Office!” Cabán, 31, beamed to her elated supporters at her election night party in Woodside.
Katz, 53, and her allies would not concede.
“I want everyone to know we are doing a recount,” she asserted at her own reception in Forest Hills.
“This thing ain’t over folks,” Queens Democratic Party Chairman Greg Meeks added. “Every vote will be counted.”
After approximately 4,000 absentee ballots were counted in the week after the primary, Katz took a razor-thin 16 vote advantage. And according to the BOE, a recount of all ballots is required when the margin of victory is less than one half of one percent of all votes.
Under the watchful eyes of attorneys on both sides, BOE staffers manually recounted all tallies at the agency’s Queens voting machine facility inside of Metro Mall in Middle Village.
In the end, Katz bested Cabán 34,920 to 34,860.
In a heavily Democratic borough, Katz is expected to cruise past the GOP nominee, which as of press time is Daniel Kolgan.

Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons/Yumi Kimura

By Forum Staff

A 27-year-old Flushing man has been charged with burglary, attempted rape, sexual abuse, felony assault and other crimes for breaking into the home of a mother anddaughter shortly before 2 a.m. on Sunday, August 4, 2019.
Solomon Hudgins, of Roosevelt Avenue, with his pants down and genitals exposed – tried to force himself on a 64-year-old woman as he groped her and then beat the 94-year-old mother with a phone when she tried to call for help.
“This was a vicious attack on a 64-year-old woman, who did her best to fight off the nearly-naked defendant in the middle of the night. The victim’s 94-yearold mother tried to call the police, only to have the defendant grab the phone from her and strike her with it. If the charges are proven, this defendant deserves nothing less than a significant term of incarceration,” said Acting District Attorney John M. Ryan.
The defendant was arraigned before Queens Criminal Court Judge Scott Dunn on a complaint charging him with first-degree burglary, first-degree attempted rape, second-degree assault, first-degree sexual abuse, forcible touching and fourth-degree criminal mischief. Judge Dunn set bail at $275,000 bond/$200,000 cash and ordered the defendant to return to court on August 9, 2019.
According to the charges, at approximately 2 a.m. on Sunday, August 4, 2019, the defendant tore a window screen of a bathroom window and entered the home. The 64-year-old woman saw the defendant, who allegedly had his pants down and his penis exposed. Seconds later, the defendant is alleged to have grabbed the woman, groped her breast and touched her genitals and then tried to pull the victim’s pants down as she struggled to fight him off.
The victim’s 94-year-old mother tried calling 911 for help when Hudgins snatched the phone from her and struck her hand with it causing both swelling and bruising. He fled the scene, but was apprehended a short distance from the victims’ apartment by Police Officer Raymond Nappi of the 109 Precinct and fellow officers.
If convicted, Hudgins faces up to 25 years in prison.

File Photo

Between February 2015 and December 2018, the defendants allegedly conspired to ship multiple kilogram quantities of marijuana by tractor trailer from California and Washington State to Queens and elsewhere for distribution.

By Forum Staff
Two men have been arrested for their alleged roles in a marijuana trafficking conspiracy that saw more than 100,000 pounds of pot, marijuana oil, and drug paraphernalia by tractor trailer from Califormia and Washington State to Queens, federal prosecutors announced last week.
A criminal complaint has been unsealed in Brooklyn federal court charging Kevin Lau, Kenneth Tam, and Jack Thai with conspiracy to distribute, and possession with intent to distribute, large quantities of marijuana. Thai was arrested on July 24 in Las Vegas; he was released on a $50,000 bond. Tam was released on a $500,000 bond. Lau is currently a fugitive, officials noted.
According to charging documents, between February 2015 and December 2018, the defendants allegedly conspired to ship multiple kilogram quantities of marijuana by tractor trailer from California and Washington State to Queens and elsewhere for distribution. The shipping crates used to transport the marijuana were falsely labeled as containing furniture, clothing and other merchandise. Lau’s co-conspirators stored the crates in commercial facilities and residences in Queens and other locations in New York City. The cash proceeds of the marijuana were then smuggled back to the West Coast concealed in luggage on commercial airlines.
During the investigation, Homeland Security Investigations agents seized approximately $500,000 in cash from members of the conspiracy. Based on records of more than 200 marijuana shipments and the seizures of marijuana by law enforcement, HSI estimates that the defendants transported more than 100,000 pounds of marijuana, marijuana oil, and drug paraphernalia.
If convicted, the defendants face a mandatory minimum of 10 years’ imprisonment, and up to life in prison.

Photo Courtesy of Google

Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church (pictured) is sponsoring a summer blood drive on Sunday, Aug. 18, from 8:45 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. in the Parish Hall under the church, which is located at 70-01 Kessel St., Forest Hills.
Donors should bring their donor ID card or donor number and a picture ID. All blood types are needed during this summer shortage.
For more information or to make an appointment, call the parish rectory at (718) 268-6143.

Photo Courtesy of Assemblyman Weprin’s Office

Assemblyman Weprin addresses attendees at the Boys and Girls Club of Metro Queens in Richmond Hill.

By Michael V. Cusenza
With several crucial aspects of the Child Victims Act set to kick in this month, the Boys and Girls Club of Metro Queens in Richmond Hill recently hosted a free seminar featuring child-welfare advocates, clinicians, elected officials, and sexual abuse prevention experts to help lead a discussion about the new measure and what it means for survivors still seeking justice.
Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the CVA into law in February. Cuomo said he had advocated for passage of the CVA during the 2018 legislative session “but Senate Republicans refused to bring it to the floor for a vote.”
“This bill brings justice to people who were abused, and rights the wrongs that went unacknowledged and unpunished for too long,” the governor said. “By signing this bill, we are saying nobody is above the law, that the cloak of authority is not impenetrable, and that if you violate the law, we will find out and you will be punished and justice will be done.”
State Sen. Brad Hoylman (D-Manhattan) added earlier this year, “For years, survivors of child sexual abuse looked to Albany for justice and for years, their pleas went unanswered. No longer. With the Child Victims Act now signed into law by Gov. Cuomo, survivors of child sexual abuse in New York State finally have the opportunity to seek justice against their abusers and the institutions who may have harbored them.”
Last week, dozens of borough residents gathered at the Atlantic Avenue B & G club to learn more about how the CVA expands New York’s statute of limitations (the deadline an individual has to initiate legal proceedings). Beginning Aug. 14, survivors over the age of 23 will be able to utilize a one-year window, known as the “look back” period, to file a civil lawsuit against perpetrators or institutions regardless of when the offense took place.
Furthermore, the CVA also raised the statute of limitations for criminal actions and civil actions. The criminal statute of limitations will be extended five years to 23 from age 18; and the civil statute of limitations will be extended to 55 from 23.
“It is my hope that local community members will be able to use the information from this seminar to seek justice for themselves or help others in their community seek justice,” said Assemblyman David Weprin (D-Richmond Hill). “The Child Victims Act is a historic victory for child sex abuse survivors and we need to make sure that people know how to use it to hold their victimizers accountable.”
Jeffery Dion, executive director of the child sex abuse survivor advocacy nonprofit Zero Abuse Project, called the CVA “our most powerful tool to stop abuse and protect kids.”
“I want to thank Assemblyman Weprin for his efforts to assist survivors and protect the children of New York from future abuse,” Dion continued. “Because of this work, under the Child Victims Act, survivors of child sexual abuse can now seek justice and hold predators and the institutions that covered for them accountable for decades of abuse. Moving forward, the new law also removes the perverse incentives for institutions to cover abuse as they can no longer just wait out a short statute of limitations to protect their reputation.”

Photo Courtesy of JFK Airport

Customs and Border Protection officers stationed at JFK Airport seized at least two Kuznetsov outbound packages.

By Forum Staff
A Russian national living in Coney Island has been charged with illegally sending rifle parts back to Russia, federal prosecutors announced Tuesday.
A criminal complaint was unsealed Tuesday in Brooklyn federal court charging Vladimir Kuznetsov, 58, with illegally exporting, attempting to export, and conspiring to export firearm parts and accessories from the United States to individuals in Russia. Kuznetsov was arrested Tuesday morning in Dingsman Ferry, Pa.
According to the complaint, from approximately February 2017 to the present, Kuznetsov and others conspired to export and exported from the U.S. to Russia, firearm parts and other items on the U.S. Commerce Control List. These items are restricted and cannot be exported from the U.S. without licenses from the State Department and Department of Commerce. Kuznetsov purchased U.S.-origin firearm parts online, including parts used to assemble sniper rifles. He then shipped the firearm parts via the U.S. Postal Service to buyers in Russia. To avoid detection, Kuznetsov provided false descriptions of the items contained in each package, and hid rifle parts inside the packages. For example, in one package seized by Customs and Border Protection in July 2017 at John F. Kennedy International Airport, Kuznetsov had packed an H-S Precision rifle stock for a Remington 700 series bolt-action rifle beneath a Bosch benchtop router table. The only item listed on the package’s shipping label and customs form was benchtop router table. In April 2018, also at JFK, CBP seized another Kuznetsov outbound package, this one containing a rifle chassis and five-round ammunition magazines, concealed among a pair of sneakers, jeans, a heating pad and blood pressure monitor. The accompanying USPS customs form omitted the rifle chassis and ammunition magazines.
“Kuznetsov is alleged to have illegally exported firearm parts to Russia, including parts to assemble rifles, by methodically mislabeling the packages and concealing the parts,” said HSI NY Special Agent-in-Charge Peter Fitzhugh. “The safety of our nation is paramount in our counter-proliferation cases, and HSI will continue to investigate those who choose to fill their pockets with illicit proceeds by putting the security of our country at risk.”
If convicted, Kuznetsov faces a statutory maximum of 20 years’ imprisonment, prosecutors noted.

Photo Courtesy of Sen. Addabbo’s Office

“The different programs they provide and the work they do with our veterans and seniors are a blessing for the community,” Sen. Addabbo (r.) said of GallopNYC

By Forum Staff
State Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach) said he recently visited GallopNYC’s Sunrise Stables in Howard Beach to see firsthand the work they do with their therapeutic riding program.
Located at 80-98 Linden Blvd., Sunrise Stables provides limited public riding lessons as part of their horse education curriculum; but, perhaps more importantly, they feature programming that uses the proven benefits of therapeutic horsemanship to provide both children and adults with developmental, emotional, social, and physical disabilities a unique way to handle their disability while teaching them new skills.
GallopNYC also offers free programs for veterans and local seniors.
During his visit, Addabbo noted that he and the GallopNYC staff discussed the different initiatives they offer at Sunrise Stables and GallopNYC’s other New York locations, as well as ways to improve their space and bring their services to more people.
“GallopNYC has two locations in my district—Howard Beach and Forest Hills—and I am proud to have them,” Addabbo said. “The different programs they provide and the work they do with our veterans and seniors are a blessing for the community. Seeing someone who is in a wheelchair get up on the back of a horse and trot around the field is awe-inspiring. I am happy to be able to work with their staff and help provide them the funding they need to continue assisting the community. I encourage those interested in getting involved with this amazing organization to volunteer.”
For more information about getting involved at GallopNYC as a rider, donor, or volunteer, visit gallopnyc.org, email info@gallopnyc.org, or call (646) 233-4507.

Forum Photo by Michael V. Cusenza

“This kind of lawless gun violence will not be tolerated in our neighborhoods,” Acting Queens DA John Ryan said.

By Forum Staff
A Brooklyn man has been sentenced to up to life in prison for the murder of a South Ozone Park man, who was killed during a home invasion attempt, Acting Queens District Attorney John Ryan announced Tuesday.
Freddie Salgado, 41, was found guilty in May of second-degree murder, first-degree burglary, second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, and second-degree assault following a two-week trial. Salgado was sentenced on Tuesday to 25 years to life in prison.
According to trial testimony, on the morning of Jan. 11, 2016, Salgado and an unapprehended other man entered the Peconic Street home of Frankie Nieves, who was upstairs helping his daughter get ready for school. Nieves’ brother, Edgar, was on the ground floor of the home and fought with the two men, who were armed with a handgun and a stun gun.
Continuing, according to trial testimony, the victim’s brother got away from the two men and ran toward the home’s entrance. As he fled the house, Edgar Nieves heard a single gunshot. Frankie Nieves, 50, was shot once in the chest. The victim was rushed to a nearby hospital, but succumbed to the wound.
Video surveillance from just outside the residence, according to trial records, showed Salgado and another person exit a white BMW, enter the Nieves house and then leave the residence. The pair got into the same vehicle and left the scene. One of the two men left a red hat at the scene and DNA collected from that hat was a match for the Salgado’s DNA profile. The defendant’s DNA profile was on file in the New York State DNA Databank.
According to trial testimony, Salgado fled the five boroughs and was apprehended in Miami in the same white BMW on Jan. 18, 2016. The vehicle had been reported stolen and the defendant was arrested and charged in connection with the stolen vehicle. The defendant gave police in Miami a false name and was released on bail. However, detectives from the NYPD’s 106th Precinct, with the assistance of Federal Marshals and local police, located the defendant, re-apprehended him and he was extradited to Queens on the murder charge. The BMW was also seized and a spot of blood was discovered in the vehicle by the NYPD Crime Scene Unit and was a match for the victim, Frankie Nieves.
“Before being brutally gunned down, the victim in this case was helping his 5-year-old daughter get dressed for school. But moments later, the defendant and another individual forced their way into the Queens home, fought with the victim’s brother and then shot and killed the 50-year-old father,” Ryan said. “This kind of lawless gun violence will not be tolerated in our neighborhoods. A jury weighed all the evidence and convicted the defendant, who is going to prison for a very long time.”

On Monday evening, dozens of Howard Beach residents took to the streets to witness what was an alarming display of non residents, clogging the streets, trespassing on private property, urinating on lawns, using lewd and vulgar language and making inappropriate and threatening comments to families gathered outside their homes and standing with their neighbors.
For several hours there were cars, with 4-6 people in each vehicle, some double-parked, some blocking driveways. They were seen along every street from 91 st to 86 th street between 162 and 163 rd Avenues as well as all along both 162 nd and 163 rd Avenues.
This group of individuals would not have been welcome by the residents of any neighborhood, be it Howard Beach or Flatbush. But that has nothing to do with any other factors but their behavior and their actions while “visiting” our neighborhood.
A house party, which took place on the corner of 89 th Street and 163 rd Ave, was the reason this episode unfolded. The owner of the house listed it on Air B&B and rented his unoccupied home to people who in turn hired their own security and proceeded to send invitations via online sites and chat rooms to a paid party where, for an admission fee, you could have access to a pool and liquor. We have seen the consequences of these illegal events in this community before and heard about their prevalence in many other neighboring areas as well.
Their presence here and the feeling that pervaded the entire community is something that we would hope, we will never experience again.
But despite the gravity of what could have amounted to a totally chaotic and dangerous melee on the streets of Howard Beach, once again this community rose above its formerly ill-conceived reputation and rode the situation out without one resident involved confrontation.
Instead of reacting to frustration and numerous provocations, homeowners watched as the 106 th precinct handled the situation and diffused and dispersed the troublesome crowd. And when they left en masse and transferred themselves to the streets surrounding Charles Park and inside the park itself, our precinct was right there to do the same thing again.
At a time when the entire NYPD has been abandoned and demoralized by a mayoral administration that has clearly established itself as totally unconcerned with what is best for this city and what it means to stand behind the men and women who risk their lives to protect it every minute of every day, our community is immeasurably blessed and fortunate enough to have police who are still willing to do their job.
The residents of Howard Beach and the 106 th Precinct and the swift action of the Howard Beach/Lindenwood Civic and its president Joann Ariola-Shanks, were the silver lining of the dark and ominous cloud that loomed over the community Monday night and they should be commended and respected for behaviors and actions that resulted in an end to the situation and the maintenance of safety and order.
Also to be commended are the administrators of Howard Beach Moms who removed inflammatory and irresponsible commentary from their site. We should all be aware that verbal and written rants do only harm to this community and solve nothing.
As for those who think that the formation of a group to “Take back the Neighborhood” or “Save Howard Beach” is the means to an end for situations like this, we strongly suggest that they THINK AGAIN. Even the suggestion of those “group names” suggests that Howard Beach has lost something. That could not be further from the truth.
We are today, as we always have been, Howard Beach Strong.

Photo Courtesy of NYPD

Look who took a bite out of crime this weekend on Woodhaven Boulevard near Jamaica Avenue!
Following two recent brutal accidents, McGruff the Crime Dog visited the Woodhaven thoroughfare on Sunday to help 102nd Precinct Neighborhood Coordination officers distribute vital Vision Zero literature to members of the community.

File Photo

“Opioids are devastating communities across the country, and we have a duty to do all we can to protect Americans from this epidemic,” AG James said Monday.

By Michael V. Cusenza
State Attorney General Tish James, along with a coalition of 38 states, sent a letter Monday to Congress urging the Legislative Branch to remove federal barriers that are currently preventing healthcare providers from offering treatment for opioid-use disorder.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, opioid-use disorder is the physical and psychological reliance on opioids; it is estimated that more than two million Americans struggle with opioid-use disorder. In 2018, more than 47,500 Americans died from opioid-related overdoses.
In the missive to congressional leadership, the bipartisan coalition calls for the passage of legislation to: eliminate burdensome requirements that prohibit doctors from prescribing treatment for opioid-abuse disorder; replace outdated medical privacy rules; and repeal a rule that prevents Medicaid from covering some forms of treatment.
In the six-page letter, the coalition outlines three primary areas, which need to be addressed by the Senate and House of Representatives:
• Replace the cumbersome, out-of-date, privacy rules contained in 42 CFR Part 2 with the effective and more familiar privacy rules contained in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act;
• Pass HR 2482, the Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act, which would eliminate unnecessary burdens on buprenorphine prescribing imposed by the Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000. Buprenorphine is one of three drugs used as part of Medication Assisted Treatment, the most effective treatment for opioid-use disorder. Outdated and unnecessary federal requirements are discouraging doctors from prescribing this life-saving drug to patients who need it; and
• Fully repeal the Medicaid Institutions for Mental Diseases exclusion. The IMD exclusion generally prohibits state Medicaid programs from receiving federal reimbursement for adults between 21 and 65 receiving mental health or substance-use disorder treatment in a residential treatment facility with more than 16 beds.
“Opioids are devastating communities across the country, and we have a duty to do all we can to protect Americans from this epidemic,” James said Monday. “New York has filed the nation’s most extensive lawsuit against the makers and distributors of opioids, we’ve taken drug dealers off the streets, and now we are ensuring that impacted individuals can access the treatment they need. This crisis demands action from every angle and that is exactly what we are doing.”
In March, James filed a 269-page complaint in Suffolk County Supreme Court that alleges that through years of false and deceptive marketing, and by ignoring their duties to prevent the unlawful diversion of controlled substances, six national prescription opioid manufacturers—Purdue Pharma and its affiliates; members of the Sackler family (owners of Purdue) and trusts they control; Janssen Pharmaceuticals and its affiliates (including its parent company Johnson & Johnson); Mallinckrodt LLC and its affiliates; Endo Health Solutions and its affiliates; Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc. and its affiliates; and Allergan Finance, LLC and its affiliates—and four national prescription drug distributors—McKesson Corporation; Cardinal Health Inc.; Amerisource Bergen Drug Corporation; and Rochester Drug Cooperative Inc.—are largely responsible for creating the opioid epidemic that has ravaged the Empire State, causing widespread addiction, overdose deaths, and suffering.
“Since 1999, the scourge of opioid addiction unleashed by the Defendants in this action has taken nearly 400,000 lives,” the complaint reads.

Photo Courtesy of TSA

A California man traveling with a toddler was arrested last Tuesday at John F. Kennedy International Airport after Transportation Security Administration officers found a loaded gun among his carry-on items at one of the airport checkpoints, according to TSA officials.
When the TSA officers spotted the gun, they contacted Port Authority Police, who arrived at the checkpoint, confiscated the firearm, and detained the man for questioning before arresting him on weapons charges. The unidentified man told officials that he took his friend’s carry-on bag by mistake, TSA officials reported. Police took care of the child during the incident.
The 9 mm handgun was loaded with eight bullets, including one in the chamber. The July 30th incident marked the fifth gun that TSA officers have detected at JFK security checkpoints so far this year—more than double the two firearms that were discovered at the airport in all of 2018.

Photo Courtesy of NYPD

Dozens of families gathered at Victory Field Tuesday evening for the 102nd Precinct’s 2019 National Night Out Against Crime celebration.

By Michael V. Cusenza
Cops and the South Queens communities Tuesday celebrated success, summer—and each other—at the 2019 National Night Out Against Crime.
While the NYPD’s Neighborhood Policing Program, and its rewarding results, may make every night feel just a little bit like NNO, nothing beats the real thing. The 106th Precinct, which serves Howard Beach, Hamilton Beach, Lindenwood, Ozone Park, South Ozone Park, and Resorts World Casino New York City, marked National Night Out at Addabbo Playground in Tudor Park, located at 133rd Avenue and 82nd Street in Ozone Park. Families enjoyed refreshments, music, dancing, giveaways, activities for children and adults, and the company of their neighbors in blue.
The 102nd Precinct, serving the communities of Woodhaven, Ozone Park, Richmond Hill, and Kew Gardens, held its National Night Out event at Victory Field in Forest Park. The 102’s free fest with the Finest featured food and drinks, raffle prizes, and plenty of family fun.

Photo Courtesy of Wounded Nature – Working Veterans

The lower jawbone of a human female was recently discovered in the marsh area along the Jamaica Bay shoreline.

By Michael V. Cusenza
Following a new development in the case of a missing woman whose body was discovered along the shores of Jamaica Bay three years ago, the City Police Department and Chief Medical Examiner this week reached out to the public for any information that can lead to identifying her.
On Saturday, May 18, volunteers with the Charleston, S.C.-based Wounded Nature – Working Veterans a non-profit organization that removes trash and debris from coastal areas, found the lower jaw of a human in the marsh area along the Jamaica Bay shoreline. After verifying that indeed it was a human jawbone, National Park Police and NYPD investigators contacted the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
City ME staff subsequently conducted DNA tests and found a match to a body that had been discovered decomposing on the shoreline of Jamaica Bay near Floyd Bennett Field on Sept. 14, 2016. According to authorities, the body has some distinctive tattoos, including a panther with claws on the abdomen, black cross on right ring finger, and a needle through a tongue on the left back shoulder, among others.
Though the condition of the remains was officially listed as “not recognizable – Decomposition/putrefaction,” the woman had: strawberry blonde wavy hair measuring approximately 12 inches in length; a belly-button ring with a clear stone; and a large, linear scar/hypopigmented area on the side of the upper right thigh.
To view the tattoos and case, visit: namus.gov/UnidentifiedPersons/Case#/15911/.
If you have any information that can lead to identifying the woman, call the NYPD Missing Persons Squad at (212) 694-7781.

Photos Courtesy of NYPD

Larosa was arrested on Thursday.

By Michael V. Cusenza
Steve Larosa found himself in handcuffs Thursday morning, a little more than a week after he allegedly sprayed two City Police Department Traffic Enforcement agents with water on a Woodhaven corner, according to police and published reports.
In July 24 surveillance footage, Larosa, 35, at around 2:30 p.m., approaches the two agents, who are standing on the corner of Jamaica Avenue and 86th Street, and unloads water from what looks like a large Poland Spring bottle. Larosa fled and no one was reported injured.
According to the New York Post, Larosa was arrested on Thursday at approximately 8 a.m. at his Cypress Hills, Brooklyn, home by the NYPD’s Warrants Squad, after the Finest received several anonymous tips identifying him as the man who doused the agents. “Larosa has at least seven prior arrests dating back as far as 2003, and several others that are sealed,” police sources told the Post.
An incensed Assemblyman Mike Miller (D-Woodhaven) said last Wednesday that a large share of the blame for the viral dousing stunts should be left at the feet of Mayor Bill de Blasio.
“If a private citizen was physically assaulted on our city streets, the NYPD would have no problem making an arrest. However, when it comes to their own, when it happens to them, they feel handcuffed. This is a physical assault on our officers who protect us each and every day and needs to be treated as such,” Miller fumed. “Mayor de Blasio needs to spend more time in NYC and deal with these embarrassing and inexcusable assaults on our police officers than on the campaign trail. This will continue to happen, unless Mayor de Blasio lets officers do their jobs that they are trained and qualified to do. The 102nd Precinct does a phenomenal job reaching out to our communities and the Neighborhood Coordinating Officers have meetings with residents to address their concerns. I am outraged that this has occurred in my district and I am outraged this is continuing to happen. This behavior should not be tolerated at all. These attacks have already occurred in Manhattan and Brooklyn and now Queens in a matter of a week. This won’t stop unless de Blasio takes the handcuffs off our police officers and let them police. Action needs to happen now to protect our officers.”