I was at the Bensonhurst West End Community Council’s (BWECC) Open Community meeting at the FIAO Beacon Community Center at Seth Low IS 96 when this startling information hit me.The New Executive Officer Captain Badick was accompanied by 62nd Precinct Crime Prevention Officer Carmelo Vendra and Community Affairs Officer Steve Agosta and the 62 Safety Traffic Officer. Captain Badick, a well-spoken and likable young man, had served as a police officer at the 62nd Precinct for six years. From there his career skyrocketed, including working for the Manhattan District Attorney’s office for several years and recently promoting to Captain. He was filling in for Deputy Inspector Sprague the BWECC scheduled speaker who was called off to an emergency, but Captain Badick was well received and was able to answer any police question put to him. It was during his report of the status of crime in the area that he mentioned that crime was decreasing in the precinct, despite having lost 25 percent of the cops in the precinct similar to the cuts in the rest of the city during the past eight years.
Hello, if the buck stops at the mayor’s office, especially since Bloomberg has been the mayor since the 911 bombings, isn’t there something wrong here?With terrorists scaring the nation every single day, wouldn’t you think that our police force should be increased to double, or triple its size, rather than having it reduced?
Am I getting paranoid about this city’s security?Yep, very much so. Every single time I pick up a newspaper or turn on the news I wonder why the media is planting seeds into terrorists’ heads.If a terrorist is looking for a target, or planning some sort of disaster, all they need to do is read the papers, turn on the news or go online to get ideas.So it bothered me a lot to hear that our Finest are being reduced by City Hall who apparently cares more about balancing a budget than the health, welfare and security of its tax papers as well as its many non-paying taxpayers.
I wonder if City Hall reduced the number of traffic enforcement officers, a.k.a. meter maids, or sanitation enforcement revenue agents, or how many more firehouses it plans to close, or what cuts are due for our schools?Now we can’t argue with Bloomberg’s brilliance with finances that made him one of the world’s richest men.And that’s the problem here, he doesn’t have to worry about paying his bills like we all do.He has nothing in common with the common man, unfortunately!The mayor is personable, well-spoken and has done quite a few innovative things such as 311.Some of his idea’s I didn’t agree with and I’ve mentioned them here in this column.But, I think he should rethink with his very capable Police Commissioner any further reductions in the Police force%u2026especially in these times of peril.
I would also like to thank Assemblyman William Colton for attending the meeting and bringing us up to date on the continued battle to stop the Waste Transfer station, scheduled to be located at the old incinerator site, even though Assemblyman Colton found a better, more accessible location for one.
Screech at you next week!
