Queens Shmira plays pivotal role
This past Sunday afternoon at 1:30 p.m., Queens Shmira members responded to a hotline call for a perpetrator on the loose in Kew Gardens Hills after shoving a teenage female to the pavement. The incident occurred in the heart of the neighborhood at Jewel Avenue and Main Street and evolved throughout the area as the suspect walked about. Shmira volunteers, together with the victim, tracked the perpetrator along Main Street towards 73rd Avenue and then further towards 76th Avenue, all while keeping a close eye until police officers responded. The perpetrator stopped off at a convenience store and continued his stroll to Union Turnpike where officers finally took control.
The 911 emergency system has been plagued with persistent failure, leaving frustrated New Yorkers to repeatedly call in the hopes of not getting the system’s voicemail. While there have not been any known disastrous consequences, when the emergency network that we have come to rely upon has without warning become utterly unreliable, eventually dispatchers responded. The NYPD wasted no time apprehending the perpetrator, who was accused of both forcibly touching and then shoving the minor whose family are longtime community members. Responding officers of the NYPD’s 107th Precinct charged the perpetrator with several offenses championed by assault and sexual harassment of a minor. As of Monday afternoon, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz signaled that her office would seek bail in the case and intend to prosecute to the fullest extent at their disposal.
The courage of the teenager to see her perpetrator taken into custody is commendable. Never hesitate to dial 911 and then the Queens Shmira hotline at any hour, 24/7/365 at 718-329-4444.
By Shabsie Saphirstein
Queens Shmira, Community Outreach Coordinator
