BY SCOTT STIFFLER | In another signifiant sign that’s helping to define what we mean by the “post-pandemic era,” all of the public meetings coming out of Chelsea’s 10th Precinct have made the transition from online Zoom forums to a time when small meeting rooms or sweeping outdoor spaces will serve as host venues. This fall, pending any unforeseen circumstances, we’re all going to be Spirits in the Material World as opposed to Ghosts in the Machine (bonus points sans any actual prize if you got the “Police” reference). So get up from behind your desk and computer monitor, put some pants on, venture back into the outside world, and plan on attending a meeting free of dead air during which people try to figure out how to work the “Mute” setting on their microphone.

The 10th Precinct Community Council meets on Wednesday, October 25, 7pm

At Chelsea’s 10th Precinct (230 West 20th Street between 7th & 8th Aves.)

The citizen-run 10th Precinct Community Council meets at 7pm on the last Wednesday of the month. Council President Larry O’Neill hosts the event, which typically sees 10th Precinct Commanding Officer Captain Robert Gault on hand to discuss the latest crime statistics, trends, and enforcement efforts. O’Neill then moderates a Q&A session in which Gault responds to attendee questions regarding local matters of concern. Electeds and City representatives are often in attendance, and usually amenable to taking questions from neighborhood residents, business owners, and other stakeholders who typify the turnout. Also likely to attend Council meetings, whether live or via Zoom (meetings have been in-person only lately) are 10th Precinct detectives, Community Affairs officers, and other staff, often called upon by Gault when the topic turns to their area of expertise. Note: Follow the Community Council on Facebook by clicking here. O’Neill, who moderates this online wing of the Council, will post info about the location of upcoming meetings and events. This year’s remaining Community Council meetings, if following their usual last-Wed.-of-the-month protocol, will happen at 7pm on November 29 and December 27.

Among the topics at September’s Community Council meeting (the first since June-August’s summer hiatus) was an uptick in Grand Theft Auto crimes, driven primarily by the theft of motorized scooters used by deliverypeople. Criminal Court summonses issued by Police Officers (for things like disorderly conduct) were up year-to-date by 52.4% (419 so far this year, as opposed to 275 at this time last year). The topic of criminal recidivism was addressed in a variety of ways–the least of which came from the Manhattan District Attorney’s rep, who once again showed up unable to provide stats on how many people arrested by the 10th Precinct are released, how many face trial, and how many are incarcerated or released while awaiting their trial. Chelsea Community News (CCNews), which has requested such info at many past Council meetings, was joined by neighborhood residents in expressing the need for such data during the Council’s regular discussions of recidivism. We’ll be at the Oct. 25 meeting to ask our recidivism-themed questions once again…

BUILD THE BLOCK MEETINGS

NYPD Build the Block meetings, held quarterly, provide an opportunity to interact with the two-person NCO (Neighborhood Coordination Officer) team responsible for their assigned sector. NCOs have dedicated hours every week during which they walk their sectors in order to create new contacts and strengthen existng relationships (and form new ones) with residents, business owners, and others. The 10th Precinct has three Sectors: A, B, and C—while the 13th Precinct, which is responsible for some sections of easternmost Chelsea, has four Sectors: A, B, C, and D. Our 10th Precinct Build the Block meetings are moderated by the pair of NCO’s assigned to the particular Sector that meeting concerns–which means they arrive at the Q&A portion of the proceedings familiar with most of what comes their way. Best of all is the consistency factor: Promises made to look into a partiular issue can be measured for success at the following quarter’s Build the Block meeting, as there’s been little to no turnover in terms of the NCOs tasked with taking on the concerns of their assigned Sector.

Click here to find your Build the Block meeting. Enter in your address, and the search result yields info on your Sector, along with contact info for your NCOs and the date/location of their next. As these dates are scheduled far in advance, the NYPD offers this caveat: “All meeting times, dates, and locations are subject to change. Please call your local precinct and speak to a Neighborhood Coordination Officer to verify correct meeting information.” It’s a good idea to check in on the day of the scheduled meeting, as plans do sometimes change on short notice (in which case the 10th Precinct’s Twitter account, @NYPD10Pct, is a reliable source for last-minute info).

Below, find the results of Build the Block searches conduted on October 22, 2023, using the abovementioned methods.

10TH PRECINCT BUILD THE BLOCK MEETINGS FOR THE FOURTH QUARTER OF 2023:

The next Sector A Build the Block meeting is Thursday, October 26, 5pm at Kelly Park (320 West 17th Street, between 8th & 9th Aves.)

Sector A’s area of coverage is W. 14th St. to W. 21st St., Seventh Ave. to the Hudson. Your Sector A Neighborhood Coordination Officers (NCOs) are:

PO William Lleras  |  Email: William.Lleras2@nypd.org

PO Taimoor Ahmad  |  Email: Taimoor.Ahmad@nypd.org

The next Sector B Build the Block meeting is Thursday, November 30, 5pm at Penn South (339 West 24th Street)

Sector B’s area of coverage is the north side of W. 21st St. to south side of W. 29th St., from Seventh Ave. to the Hudson. Your Sector B Neighborhood Coordination Officers (NCOs) are:

PO Dylan Darnaud  |  Email: Dylan.Darnaud@nypd.org

PO Daniel Bavuso  |  Email: Daniel.Bavuso@nypd.org

The next Sector C Build the Block meeting is Thursday, December 21, 5pm at 1 River Place

Sector C’s area of coverage is W. 29th St. to W. 43rd St., Ninth Ave. to the Hudson. Your Sector C Neighborhood Coordination Officers (NCOs) are:

PO Marian Bencea  |  Email: Marian.Bencea@nypd.org

PO Daniel Sendrowski  |  Email: Daniel.Sendrowski@nypd.org

–END —

Chelsea Community News is an independent, hyperlocal news, arts, events, info, and opinion website made possible with the help of our awesome advertisers and the support of our readers. Our Promise: Never a paywall, no pop-up ads, all content is FREE. With that in mind, if circumstances allow, please consider taking part in our GoFundMe campaign (click here). To make a direct donation, give feedback, send a Letter to the Editor, or contact our founder/editor, send an email to Scott Stiffler, via scott@chelseacommunitynews.com.

To join our subscriber list, click here. It’s a free service provding regular (weekly, at least) Enewsletters containing links to recently published content. Subscribers also will be sent email with “Sponsored Content” in the subject line. That means it’s an exclusive message from one of our advertisers, whose support, like yours, allows us to offer all content free of charge.