Hello, neighbor! The 52nd Precinct has a new commander: former 50th Precinct commander John D’Adamo. The Police Department transferred Deputy Inspector D’Adamo from his post in the 50th Precinct – Riverdale, Kingsbridge and Marble Hill – east of the Major Deegan Expressway to the 52nd Precinct – Fordham, Bedford Park, Norwood and University Heights – on Wednesday, October 28.
Only 39 years old, D’Adamo has sped through the ranks of the Police Department.
“I loved the five-o,” D’Adamo said in an interview with The Bronx Times. “I was there 20 months and had a wonderful time. But I’m excited to be at the five-two.”
The Rockland County-born D’Adamo joined the Police Department in 1990 at PSA 7 in Melrose. In 1995 he made detective and was transferred to Bronx Narcotics. In 1997 D’Adamo made sergeant and was transferred to PSA 5 in Harlem.
As a lieutenant, he worked for the Police Department’s housing bureau. As a captain, he first led the 43rd Precinct – Soundview, Castle Hill and Parkchester – then the 50th Precinct. D’Adamo, a married father of one, made deputy inspector in August.
At the 50th Precinct, D’Adamo learned to cooperate with community board members and precinct residents, he said. D’Adamo acted on tips from Riverdale residents to nab a car break-in crook.
Former Community Board 8 chair Tony Cassino described D’Adamo as community-minded and engaged. Although he had more serious crimes to address, D’Adamo was glad to enforce the city’s seven-day parking limit when Riverdale residents complained, Cassino said. Outsiders had begun to warehouse cars on some Riverdale streets.
“He personally went out to inspect a bunch of cars,” Cassino remembered. “He started to ticket and tow. He responded to our needs.”
The 52nd Precinct will present D’Adamo with a different set of challenges. More violent crimes occur in the five-two, and more crimes in general. D’Adamo has around 260 police officers at the 52nd Precinct. He had only 125 at the 50th.
“The five-two is a bigger and busier house,” D’Adamo said.
The deputy inspector plans to address quality of life offenses such as loud music and drug dealers through focused deployment. In other words, he’ll send handpicked teams to specific blocks to battles specific sorts of crime.
“I have pin maps in my office that I update on a daily basis,” D’Adamo said.
D’Adamo has formed a conditions team of one sergeant and eight patrol officers to focus on late night and weekend crime, he said. The new five-two commander will award spots on the conditions team to successful patrol officers, D’Adamo said.
Community Board 7 public safety committee chair Andrew Laiosa, who ran an emergency public hearing on quality of life issues in October, hopes D’Adamo will listen to concerns relayed by CB7. Laiosa also wants D’Adamo to ask for help. CB7 chair Greg Faulkner wished former 52nd Precinct commander James Alles had attended more CB7 meetings. D’Adamo promised to attend most of Faulkner’s meetings, as he attended most of Cassino’s meetings.
D’Adamo has his eye on “Sector Frank” – E. 196th Street, Morris Avenue, Grand Concourse and Valentine Avenue – where an unusual number of robberies have occurred. He’ll use “Operation Losing Proposition” – police officers disguised as johns – to address prostitution on Davidson Avenue, an issue of concern to Faulkner and Davidson Avenue residents. The operation may have already begun, D’Adamo said.
52nd Precinct Community Council president Brenda Caldwell will meet with D’Adamo in December.
“We’re glad he’s here,” Caldwell said. “I heard good things about him from [Bronx Borough Police Commissioner] Chief [Thomas] Purtell.”
Captain Philip Rivera, who filled in for Alles for a period before and after the commander retired, will stay on as D’Adamo’s right hand, Caldwell said. Crime is down in the 52nd Precinct in every category compared to 2008, robberies excluded.
