It was a long time coming.
That was the general consensus at a recent 60th Precinct Community Council meeting when Community Affairs Officer John Nevandro was honored for his recent promotion to detective.
City Councilman Domenic Recchia and 60th Precinct Commanding Officer Robert Johnsen were all smiles as Nevandro was awarded a special plaque to commemorate the milestone.
Nevandro, who grew up in the nearby Marlboro Houses, achieved another milestone in 2009, it was noted: he celebrated his 20th anniversary in the West 8th Street stationhouse last year, although he remembers working the Coney Island beach detail as far back as 1986.
Nevandro joined the NYPD in 1985.
Also honored at the council meeting were Civilians of the Month Joe Doleh and Omar Hamdan, who continue to help the stationhouse run smoothly from behind the scenes and Police Officers Richard Santora and Matt Ryman for an important arrest in November.
Johnsen said that the efforts of cops like Santora and Ryman continue to help the precinct reduce crime in Coney Island and Brighton Beach.
As 2009 drew to a close, cops at the precinct were celebrating a 14 percent drop in crime when compared to 2008. The precinct saw a 27 percent drop in robberies and a 16 percent drop in burglaries as of December 27, according to the latest NYPD CompStat reports.