'SAFEST PCT. IN NYC'

Council President Heidi Harrison Chain gives P.O. Stuart Moskowitz an award for his service to the 112th Precinct at the 112th Precinct Community Council meeting. Those attending the Sept. 17 meeting of the 112th Precinct Community Council meeting heard good news: according to its commanding officer, the precinct is the safest in the city.

Capt. Christopher Tamola made the announcement in his report at the precinct's Forest Hills stationhouse.

Year to date, the precinct is down 15 percent in major index crimes, decreasing in all categories. The precinct is also down in traffic accidents and traffic injuries "for the first time in several years," according to Tamola.

Continuing on a theme that would prevail throughout the evening, Tamola noted a new plan to crack down on traffic infractions throughout the precinct.

Capt. Susan Maier-Smith, the precinct's executive officer, is spearheading the initiative, which focuses on major corridors such as Yellowstone and Queens boulevards, Austin Street and Union Turnpike.

The precinct will be looking for tinted windows and other infractions.

Tamola did acknowledge three recent traffic fatalities—one involving a pedestrian on Queens Boulevard on Sept. 5, and two stemming from an Aug. 5 traffic accident on 69th Road and Grand Central Parkway involving a driver who was driving while under the influence.

He noted that the precinct had no fatalities on Queens Boulevard last year and just one in 2006.

He also noted that there is grand larceny pattern in the area, where an unknown person calls residents claiming to be a Verizon employee and asks for the resident's credit card information, including their security code.

According to Tamola, grand larcenies make up 50 percent of all crime in the 112th Precinct.

The commanding officer also noted that a summer spike in auto break-ins has been brought under control. He reminded residents not to leave valuables in their cars.

The dangers of drunk driving

The topic proved a perfect segue for P.O. Stuart Moskowitz, one the precinct's traffic cops.

Moskowitz, who noted that he had 200 arrests under his belt, warned against driving while under the influence of alcohol.

At the minimum, he noted, drinking and driving can result in a night in jail and higher insurance premiums.

"Two drinks could put you over the limit," he warned.

As an illustration of what could happen in an accident involving an impaired driver, he spoke of the recent accident on 69th Road and the Grand Central Parkway, calling it "one of the worst things I've seen in my entire career."

A man, intoxicated and behind the wheel of a Mercedez-Benz, slammed into an Acura carrying two passengers (who "never felt it," said Moskowitz), throwing their car into a lightpole.

The damage to the Acura was so severe, Moskowitz stated, that he could only tell the car's manufacturer through tire prints.

Impaired drivers, the officer noted, can be easily spotted by their erratic driving, which includes irregular braking, speeding, and an inability to stay in the lane.

When he spots a driver with those characteristics, Moskowitz noted that he will pull them over and test them with an Intoxylizer. While it cannot be used as evidence in a court of law, if the driver refuses, they could be handcuffed and brought directly to the precinct, where they will be tested.

The law states that a blood-alcohol level (BAC) of 0.06 to 0.08, depending on body weight, is legally impaired; a higher BAC means the driver is intoxicated.

If a driver is found to be driving while under the influence of alcohol, they will be hit with a violation that Moskowitz described as "more than a speeding ticket."

The officer reminded residents that drinkers could be impaired for up to two hours after they had their drinks.

He also noted that if an impaired driver were to get into an accident, they could be thrown in jail even if the accident was not their fault.

Other news

Heidi Harrison Chain, president of the 112th Precinct Community Council, congratulated the community for two successful recent events, the Night Out Against Crime in August and the more recent Sept. 11 ceremony.

She also congratulated the NYPD for their successful recovery of several Torahs which were stolen from a ceremony in Kew Gardens Hills. "It was something the likes of which I never saw before," she said. "It really just was an unbelievable demonstration how the police department in New York protects everybody."

Adina Callender of the Hollis Lions Club came by to talk about Kases for Kids, a program the group is running that collects used luggage, and fills them with toiletries and used clothes to give to foster children when they move from one home to another.

"We want to put some dignity and pride back into the child's life," she explained.

The 112th Precinct will be a drop-off site for anyone wishing to donate their luggage to the program; the Lions Club will also be at the Community Council's October meeting on Thursday, Oct. 16.

While meetings are usually held on the third Wednesday of every month, the date of the meeting has been changed due to the Jewish holiday of Sukkot.