Last week, an article about the 13th Precinct's National Night Out Against Crime appeared in Town & Village newspaper. Many of our neighbors enjoyed the event, which was supported by The Gramercy Park Block Association.
To view photos from the event on Town & Village's website, click here.
Town & Village; Thursday August 4, 2011
28th National Night Out Against Crime
By Sabina Mollot
In what has become a popular community tradition, civic-minded area residents and their neighbors and families, as well as members of local law enforcement agencies, gathered for the 28th National Night Out Against Crime.
The annual event, originally aimed at improving relations between police and communities, took place on Tuesday evening at various spots throughout the country, one per precinct. As always, the 13th Precinct's event, organized by the 13th Precinct's Community Council, took place at the Simon Baruch Middle School Playground on Second Avenue and featured booths from around two dozen local organizations and businesses.
There, guests were treated to free eats and other treats courtesy of local restaurants as well as entertainment provided by a DJ, clowns and caricature artists. There was also a bounce house, but most of the children at the event seemed more interested in playing cops from behind the wheel of an official auxiliary police vehicle.
Politicians who stopped by included Borough President Scott Stringer, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney and Council Member Dan Garodnick. Stringer and Garodnick took turns at the podium, praising neighbors who took the time to be the eyes and ears of the community, while Maloney, fresh off the debt ceiling debate in D.C., politely fielded numerous insults directed at the president.
Another political guest was Deputy Mayor for Economic Development Bob Steele, who read a proclamation from the mayor, stressing the current low crime rates in the city and the importance of the NYPD and the auxie (volunteer) units in keeping it that way. Steele also mentioned that 1,600 new police recruits have been hired this year, having come from the biggest class of cadets since 2006.
Meanwhile, since the 13th Precinct, which encompasses Stuyvesant Town, Gramercy Park, and part of Chelsea, has never had much animosity between its law enforcement and citizens, the event really seemed to be more about neighbors enjoying each other's company.
Event organizer Jo-Ann Polise put it this way: "As a neighborhood we are extremely fortunate. Crime is down and the 13th Precinct is very responsive to the community. Because of this, an event originally conceived so that people could 'Take back the streets' has become an opportunity for us to just invite the community to an evening where they can meet members of law enforcement, find out about organizations and institutions in the area, have some good food, get some good information and just have a fun. There's something almost small town about our annual Night Out party and members of the 13th Precinct Community Council are extremely gratified by the wonderful turnout and the words of thanks from people in the neighborhood who look forward to the first Tuesday of August every year."
Exhibitors at this year's NNOAC included: The Stuyvesant Town-Peter Cooper Village Tenants Association, the Manhattan 6 Stuy Midtown CERT (Community Emergency Response Team), the Flatiron/23rd Street BID, Beth Israel's Karpas Health Information Center, Bellevue Hospital, the Bellevue Community Advisory Board, the office of the District Attorney, the New York State Public Service Commission, Baruch College's security department, the Stuyvesant Cove Park Association, the 13th Precinct Auxiliary Police Unit, the 13th Precinct Community Council and M&T Bank, and support from The Gramercy Park Block Association. Food and beverages were provided by Outback Steakhouse, Olive Garden, Met Foods, Sweet Olive and 7-Eleven.
