North Queens to get expanded police patrols
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Mayor Eric Adams announced that over 50 newly hired officers will be assigned to the 109th Precinct’s new satellite command center in College Point. Photo courtesy of Mayor’s office
By Noah Powelson
A section of Northeast Queens will soon see an increase in the number of police officers patrolling its streets, the city announced this week.
The city opened a new neighborhood satellite command in College Point this week, effectively splitting the 109th Precinct into two. The city hopes the new command will increase response times for 911 callers in the northern part of the precinct’s borders.
The new satellite command comes a year after Mayor Eric Adams’ administration told a local community board that they’d begin exploring building a new precinct in the area given the population growth in some parts of the precinct’s coverage area over the past decade.
And while the satellite command is not a new precinct unto itself, Adams said it will put a dent into the issues raised by the board and other local civic groups in recent years.
“The community spoke, and we listened — and now, we are putting the needs of working people first with the opening of the 109th Neighborhood Satellite Command in College Point,” Adams said. “The launch of this neighborhood satellite command will help improve emergency response times in a precinct that faces unique challenges due to its geographic size and population density.”
According to the mayor’s office, 54 new police officers and 12 supervisors will also be deployed to the satellite precinct.
The new officers come straight from the NYPD Police Academy and are not being pulled from any other precinct, the mayor said.
Advocates residing within the 109th Precinct, which includes Flushing, Whitestone and College Point, have called for an additional precinct in the areas for years.
Queens Community Board 7 pushed the Adams administration to commit to a new precinct while the mayor’s office sought approval for its massive Willets Point redevelopment project in 2023.
The project will bring the city’s first soccer stadium and over 2,500 units of affordable housing. After the board received a letter from former Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Phil Banks ensuring “that the relevant agencies [will] conduct an assessment of the needs and resources required to determine whether a new precinct in the 109th Precinct is viable,” the board approved the Willets Point project the following month.
Officials on the board, including the board’s vice chairperson Chuck Apelian, and City Councilmember Vickie Paladino, have argued that a greater police presence is needed in the farther corners of the district, like College Point. Paladino was one of the many lawmakers adding her words of support to Wednesday’s announcement.
“This satellite precinct has been something community leaders and civic groups have been advocating for a very long time now, and I’m thrilled to be able to deliver for Whitestone and College Point once again,” Paladino said. “This is a huge win, and the culmination of a lot of hard work between myself, Mayor Adams, the NYPD, Community Board 7, and local civic groups.”
The 109th Precinct covers one of the largest populations in the city. This week, the Adams administration said it would be launching a satellite command center in the northern-most reaches of the precinct’s borders. Photo via Google Maps
The Adams administration said the new satellite came in response from a 2023 presentation from another local community group “We Love Whitestone,” who complained about the lack of police response times.
According to the mayor, a 911 advisory committee was formed in response. The committee analyzed data, concluding the precinct’s layout exacerbates response times, and that the distance officers travel between Flushing and places like College Point and Whitestone contributes to delays.
“The 109th Precinct is the largest in both geography and population,” Alfredo Centola, president of the “We Love Whitestone” Civic Association, said. “We are proud to have been part of the team that spearheaded this spectacular outcome for all our communities.”
None were happier than members of Community Board 7, who were informed about the neighborhood satellite command two weeks ago.
“We’re thrilled we’re getting this first step to getting a new precinct in our district,” Apelian told the Eagle. “We’re very proud, and it’s due to the efforts of Community Board 7 we’re getting this [new satellite command] now.”
According to Apelian, the city’s analysis of whether or not they will bring a new precinct entirely to the area remains ongoing.
