115th Precinct Honors Its Own

1. Yolanda Jimenez, Police Department deputy commissioner, community affairs, Dorothy Phelan, 115th Precinct Community Council president, 115th Precinct Commanding Officer Deputy Inspector Christopher Jamison, 115th Precinct Officer of the Year Nicholas Spataro, Assistant Chief James Tuller, commanding officer, Patrol Borough Queens North, and Chief of Department William Morange, Chief of Patrol at the 115th Community Council annual fellowship breakfast.

By Austin Armitstead and Doris Wergler

Police Officer Nicholas Spataro was named Officer of the Year before an audience of 150 people at the 115th Precinct Community Council annual community-police fellowship breakfast at the Crowne Plaza LaGuardia Hotel Feb. 1st. His fellow officers, area residents and elected officials in attendance agreed that Spataro's career at the 115th Precinct in Jackson Heights exemplified the highest traditions of the New York City Police Department.

Spataro was appointed to the department in 1992. At the 115th Precinct he was assigned to a community policing beat where he has fostered and maintained excellent rapport with residents, community leaders, merchants, public officials and colleagues. He regularly attends community meetings to learn about--and act on--residents' concerns and complaints.

He has made more than 125 arrests in the course of his career. Twice during the past year he was honored by the Community Council as Cop of the Month. The Police Department conferred six Excellent Police Duty awards and two Meritorious Medals on him as well. In 1999 the 115th Precinct commanding officer assigned him to serve as a mentor for rookies newly assigned to the precinct.

2. Among those attending the breakfast were, (l. to r.) Assemblymember Ivan Lafayette, Bishop Robert Thomas of the Refuge of Christ Church and Mufti Abdul Rehman Qamar of Masjid-E-Khizra.

115th Precinct Commanding Officer Deputy Inspector Christopher Jamison also praised community council members and police officers for holding the breakfast. "We join together now to address the quality of life issues that affect the communities of (East) Elmhurst, North Corona and Jackson Heights. It is my hope that in 2001 these partnerships will continue and even more can be accomplished," he told the group.

Yolanda Jimenez, Police Department deputy commissioner, community affairs, expressed her appreciation at being invited to the event. She added that she hoped other precincts and communities throughout New York City would follow the example of the 115th Precinct in building community-police relations as exemplified by the event.

Also paying tribute to the faithfulness and dedication of the officers attending the breakfast and their colleagues who were on duty and could not be present were Assistant Chief James Tuller, commanding officer, Patrol Borough Queens North, which encompasses the 115th Precinct, and Chief of Department William Morange, Chief of Patrol.

Representatives of many of the community groups served by the 115th Precinct were in attendance as well, including the Jackson Heights Neighborhood Association, the North Queens Homeowners Civic Association, the Queens Lesbian and Gay Pride Committee, the Jackson Heights Beautification Group, the Korean American Association of Queens, Salem Co-op, the Jackson Heights Action Group, Community Boards 3 and 4, the East Elmhurst branch of the Queens Borough Public Library and several corporations. Elected officials attending included Assemblymembers Ivan Lafayette and Jeffrion Aubry, City Councilmember Helen Marshall, District Leaders Jimmy Smith and Helen Sears, Community School Board 30 Member Ellen Raffaele and Theresa Obradovich, incoming chair of Community Board 3.

3. City Councilmembers Helen Marshall (l.) and John Sabini (r.) presented 115th Precinct Police Officer of the Year Nicholas Spataro with a proclamation from the City Council.