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GUN
BUYBACK, LAW ENFORCEMENT APPRECIATION AWARDS, ASSAULT ON SCHOOL SAFETY
OFFICERS PROGRAM
It is no secret that one of the
biggest problems we face in law enforcement is that there are too many
guns on the streets. It is too easy for people to get their hands on a
gun, and these guns lead to serious crimes in our borough. Fewer guns
will mean less murders, robberies, burglaries and other crimes. One
part of the solution that we came up with was to have a gun buyback
where citizens could bring in workable guns and be rewarded for it. To
overcome the fact that some people are intimidated when it comes to
turning guns in to a police precinct we got the churches and clergy
involved.
On May 8, we had the sixth gun
buyback since I became District Attorney in 1990, and the first one
since 2008. It was a joint venture between my office, the NYPD, New
York State Senators Eric Adams and Velmanette Montgomery, State
Assemblymen Kareem Camara and Hakim Jeffries and City Council Members
Letitia James, Albert Vann and Darlene Mealy. Six local churches in
Central Brooklyn were designated as drop off locations where people
could bring in up to three workable handguns or assault weapons and get
back a $200 bank card which could be redeemed for cash at an ATM or used
as a debit card. Rifles and shotguns were turned over for a $100 bank
card, while BB guns, pellet guns and air pistols were traded in for a
$20 bank card.
Once again it was a success as we
collected 287 guns. That is 287 fewer guns on the streets of Brooklyn
than there were the day before. The breakdown of the guns collected
was:
170 handguns – 115 revolvers and 55
semi-automatics
4 assault weapons
30 shotguns
37 rifles
46 BB guns
LAW ENFORCEMENT APPRECIATION AWARDS
District Attorney Hynes and 1010 Wins’
Juliet Papa join the honorees of the Law Enforcement Appreciation
Awards.
In law enforcement, it is our
responsibility to keep the people of Brooklyn safe. It is not an easy
job. But it helps when you have exceptional police officers,
firefighters, investigators, court officers and corrections officers who
go above and beyond the call of duty to make sure we are safe and ensure
that dangerous criminals are brought to justice.
Every year, I honor some of the
most outstanding law enforcement officers in Brooklyn at our Law
Enforcement Appreciation Awards breakfast. On March 26th, at
our 20th annual ceremony, we recognized 17 individuals who
stood out for their bravery, courage and duty to the job. We had
officers who risked their lives, solved murders and rescued victims from
fires and a drowning. The ceremony was emceed by Juliet Papa from 1010
WINS Radio.
This year’s award recipients were:
Detective Richard Ortega –
Detective Ortega educates the community about gangs by conducting
presentations at schools, community groups, churches, healthcare
facilities and summer youth programs. He deters many teens from
becoming potential gang members.
Court Officers Bruno Papalia and
Lisa Gayle – Devoted to community service, these officers
participate in a reading program at P.S. 261 in Boerum Hill called
Learning to Succeed, Inc. They give up their lunch hours to volunteer,
helping the students read books and understand what they are reading.
Fire Marshal John Franzone –
On June 12, 2009, Fire Marshal Franzone investigated a raging inferno
which took place at a Target store. After documenting the evidence and
interviewing employees, he determined the fire was set intentionally to
steal large screen televisions from the store, and he helped nab the
culprits.
Sergeant Edward Kraemer - On
November 14, 2009, Sgt. Kraemer risked his life by rushing into a
smoke-filled building and rescued a woman and her small child. He then
re-entered the building with a fire extinguisher to search for other
people who might be trapped inside.
Detectives Marko Vulich and John
McDonald and Sergeant Bobby Hadid – They solved a 2001 murder by
re-examining evidence and traveling all the way to France to interview
suspects who fled there. Detective Hadid translated as he spoke the
same language as the suspects. Their interrogation resulted in one of
the suspects coming forward and giving up her partner.
Sergeant Glenn Amico and Police
Officer Sean Feliciano – On August 23, 2009, the officers were
patrolling the beach in Coney Island which was closed due to dangerous
currents and large waves caused by Hurricane Bill. They saw an elderly
man struggling in the water, dove in and pulled him to safety.
Police Officer Beatrice Shafidya
– As the Youth Officer for the 70th Precinct, Officer
Shafidya conducts home visits for at-risk youths to address issues that
they may have in their households such as truancy, and provides
information to prevent reoccurrences. Officer Shafidya also runs the
precinct’s Explorers Program which works with local youth, educating
them and providing activities so they can gain insight into careers that
they may be interested in pursuing. She also monitors the Police
Athletic League with 120 youths registered.
Detective Andre Smith –
Detective Smith of the DA’s Office Squad conducts long-term confidential
investigations that include identity theft, insurance, mortgage and tax
fraud, underage prostitution rings, human trafficking and trademark
counterfeiting. He began his investigative career in 1996 as an
undercover officer for Brooklyn North Narcotics.
Captain Natalie Branch -
Captain Branch of the NYC Department of Correction is committed to
community service. She conducted an essay contest at P.S. 299 about
helping underprivileged children in which she donated money to the best
essay winners. She has also conducted drives to deliver toys and food
to homeless shelters and the Center for Battered Women. She also helped
deliver 1,300 coats to a radio station’s coat drive and escorted
community children to a shelter for the Kids 4 Kids Program where
hundreds of toys were given to the children by fortunate children.
Deputy Inspector Juanita Holmes
– The Commanding Officer of Police Service Area 2 has helped reduce
major crime, developed strong community partnerships and improved the
quality of life for residents of public housing.
Police Officers Osvaldo Castillo
and Alfredo Brewster – On December 27, 2009, the Officers approached
three males who were drinking in public. After handcuffing the first
two suspects, the third individual tried to flee. A struggle ensued,
the suspect pulled out a firearm and tried to shoot the Officers.
Officer Castillo managed to disable the weapon, and they placed the
suspect under arrest.
Police
Officer Peter Russo –
Officer
Russo is the Auxiliary Coordinator in the 79th Precinct. He
has significantly increased enrollment in the Auxiliary program and is
very active in the community, recruiting potential candidates and
providing information regarding the community benefits of the Auxiliary
program. The Auxiliary members provide invaluable support to the
uniformed members of the command which included assisting with traffic
and pedestrian control.
ASSAULT ON SCHOOL SAFETY OFFICERS PROGRAM
District Attorney Hynes is joined by Police Commissioner Kelly, Local
237 Teamsters President Gregory Floyd and School Safety Officers as they
announce the Assault on School Safety Officers Program.
I believe it is important for our
youth to get a good education, and we have an excellent education system
in place here in NYC. Students need to feel safe when they go to school
and not have to worry about violence whether it’s other students
starting fights or bringing weapons into the school or outsiders
trespassing on school grounds, looking to start trouble. This is why
schools have school safety officers who work for the NYPD. They are
there to protect our children when they are in school and maintain
order. But what protection do the 5,000 NYC school safety agents have
when they are attacked? Far too often, they get menaced and assaulted
while trying to protect our students. We have to do something to ensure
their safety.
On May 25, I was joined by Police
Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly and Local 237 Teamsters President Gregory
Floyd as we announced our new Assault on School Safety Officers
Program. The initiative, which is the first of its kind in NYC, was
created to ensure that assaults on school safety officers will be
prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Offenders will face felony
assault charges.
The program is similar to the DA’s
Office’s Assault on Police Officer Program (APOP) and Assault on Transit
Workers Program, which were implemented in 2008, in that the programs’
goals are to protect those officials from random attacks. These
programs consist of a team of prosecutors and investigators who look
into cases where an officer, transit worker or school safety officer has
been seriously injured, shot at or attacked with a deadly weapon, or if
there is an attempted assault.
There has been a 6.9% increase in
felony assaults against school safety agents since last year. The
Assault on School Safety Officers Program will help us reduce those
numbers.
Lastly, as we begin the summer
season, I want to remind everyone to enjoy the beaches and parks with
their families and keep an eye on our children. Have a great summer.
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