The Throggs Neck Business Improvement District (TNBID) is one step closer to its goal to make Throggs Neck the safest community in New York City.
Alongside community members, elected officials and NYPD officers, the TNBID announced the activation of long-awaited NYPD Argus cameras along East Tremont Avenue at a press conference outside the 45th Precinct in Throggs Neck on May 2.
The undisclosed number of cameras are located within the TNBID coverage area from Bruckner Boulevard to Miles Avenue and were made possible with funding provided by New York state Assemblymember Michael Benedetto.
TNBID’s Executive Director Bobby Jaen was excited about the installation for numerous reasons and said the cameras had already “paid major dividends.” Jaen shared that three days after the cameras had been installed, they recorded a crook robbing a woman at 10 a.m. and slamming her to the ground.
Jaen also hopes the security cameras will also crack down on illegal cannabis shops in the neighborhood, which residents say have brought crime to the area.
“The other reason why I was so hopped up to get the security cameras, as you all well know, everybody behind me is working diligently to turn around and try to do something about these illegal cannabis stores,” Jaen said.
Jaen has been working closely with the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM), the New York City Sheriff’s Department, the 45th Precinct and landlords to get the illegal cannabis stores shut down.
“We have to do whatever we have to do to make our place safe,” Jaen said. “Thanks to Assemblyman Mike Benedetto, we now have eyes on you. That’s what I tell the cannabis stores, ‘We now have our eyes on you.'”
For Benedetto, it was a “no-brainer” when the BID approached him about funding anti-crime cameras because he was committed to the safety of area residents. Benedetto said his office allocated about $400,000 for the cameras.
“[Security cameras] are proving to be a good crime-solving instrument,” Benedetto said. “Hopefully, they will bring security to people who might not feel less secure. I’m glad for the security cameras, and I’m most glad that they’re having and producing some results.”
State Sen. Nathalia Fernandez has been working closely with the TNBID to shut down illegal cannabis stores in the area.
Fernandez pointed out the passage of one of Albany’s budget bills, which gives law enforcement the authority to padlock illegal pot shops immediately. She had a stern warning for those selling cannabis without a permit.
“If you are caught selling illegally, you will have your lotto, alcohol and tobacco licenses revoked. So there is real risk for any business owner. If you want to operate illegally, you could lose everything,” Fernandez said.
Fernandez was looking forward to the shutdown of the illegal cannabis stores, saying that they have attracted crime to the area.
“[Illegal cannabis stores] have become centers of danger in our communities of those cash-only businesses. We see all these robberies happening in them. And enough is enough,” Fernandez said. “We’re excited to see that now the new laws can be implemented to shutting down these stores.”
Council Member Kristy Marmorato reiterated her campaign promise to ensure District 13 was the cleanest and safest district in New York City.
“My NYPD 45th Precinct, you guys are absolutely amazing,” Marmorato said. “These are the men and women that keep us safe, and without them, we no longer have a community.”
Deputy Inspector Johnny A. Orellana, commanding officer of the 45th Precinct, gave a shout-out to his officers “who are doing the real work.”
Orellana pointed out that the cameras, which are accessible in real-time and monitored by the 45th Precinct, were another component of public safety strategies.
“[The cameras] help prevent crime [and serve] as a deterrent. It also helps with identifying suspects,” said Orellana, who shared that the NYPD had identified a person of interest in the robbery of the woman based on the camera footage.
Orellana said that the cameras were also helpful in proving someone’s innocence.
“We also had a case of a young teen who was accused of a crime, and after we reviewed the footage, we realized he wasn’t the person who committed the crime,” Orellana said. “So [security cameras] hurt the criminal and help the innocent.”
During the Q&A session with the media, Jaen encouraged landlords who suspect that an illegal cannabis store is operating out of their property to get in touch with the New York City Sheriff’s Office, the state’s Office of Cannabis Management or the TNBID.
“We will help that landlord move forward with legalities, with paperwork, with support because a lot of [landlords] don’t know what’s going on under their own noses,” Jaen said.
Other planned safety measures are adding planters to intersections to keep pedestrians safe, more lighting in side streets, and stepping up the already-existing private security patrols.
