A handful of Longwood residents gathered at their latest neighborhood policing meeting Thursday, with their chief complaint being noise in Bill Rainey Park.
“The park needs to close at dusk… it’s not fair to us, every night it’s a concert… I got kids going to school,” said Lisa Thomas, who has been a Longwood resident since 1965.
Noise complaints are a common complaint at these meetings, according to Precinct (41) Sgt. Jonathan Falconi, and also make up 11% of 311 service requests in Longwood over the last ten years, according to NYC Open Data.
The meetings, dubbed Build the Block, are held monthly. Residents can meet their local police officer, or neighborhood coordination officer (NOC), and share complaints they may have. It is part of former mayor Bill de Blasio’s 2015 vision of ‘neighborhood policing’. In the plan, he announced that precincts would deploy NOC’s in order to address local problems and work closely with communities.
“[Residents] can call specific [officers]… they know our faces, sometimes we give our personal numbers,” Falconi, who is newly appointed, said.
According to Falconi, the meetings have led to positive changes, such as the “cleaning up” of Bill Rainey Park. He said drinking, public urination and noise are the main concerns about the park. “We make sure to have events at the park so people know it’s safe,” he said. This includes the Build the Block meeting, which is hosted at the park.
Falconi said police they have helped residents start a homeowner association. “We also try to give them guidance,” he said. He adds that the main objective of the NOC’s is to build a relationship with the community.
Clifford Muniz, a Longwood resident, did not have a complaint. “I’m here supporting the officers,” he said. Another resident, Edwin Barrieto, attended because he likes to “help the community.”
And, he added, “when I’m with cops, I’m safe.”
Crime statistics published by the police department show that Longwood has seen a steady increase in crime over the years. Compared to twelve years ago crime has risen by 24.21%. Robbery, felony assault and grand theft of motor vehicles have increased more than 50% over the past two years.