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Borough Hall salutes top precinct chiefs

Borough Hall salutes top precinct chiefs

There were a lot of cop cars, but no criminal activity at Borough Hall Wednesday.

That’s because Borough President Marty Markowitz was honoring borough precinct commanders during a special meet−and−greet breakfast.

As cops noshed on bagels and debated new policing initiatives, Markowitz commended Chief Gerald Nelson of Patrol Borough Brooklyn North and Chief Joseph Fox of Patrol Borough Brooklyn South for being crimefighting “quarterbacks.”

“You are the leaders of a team that can’t afford to lose a single game, even for a minute, 365 days a year,” he said.

He also talked out of school for a moment, commenting on how, when he’s not delegating duties to the 13 commands under him, he is “an accomplished photographer and a budding poet.”

Markowitz also took a moment to remember Police Officer Omar Edwards, a Brooklyn cop who was mistakenly gunned down in Harlem by another police officer while the off−duty cop pursued a thief that had just broken into his car.

“[Edwards’ death] is truly a tragedy not only for officer Edwards family, but also for Officer Andrew Dunton and his family,” Markowitz said. “Whenever we lose one of New York’s Finest in the line of duty, it is a dark day for New York. The fact that Edwards was shot by a fellow officer makes it doubly tragic.

“Every day, I work with people with enormous levels of responsibility from CEOs to community leaders to captains of industry,” Markowitz explained. “But none can compare with the pressure, the scrutiny or the demands from citizens that a police officer experiences on the job in New York City.

“Crime continues to drop in this city and the quality of life in the borough that we all serve continues to improve every year,” he continued. “That is a testament to the bravery and the willingness to carry out one of the world’s most dangerous jobs. The only way New York City can flourish is if we continue to keep crime down. Something that is not said often enough is that you are the reason we can.”