4 THE QUEENS COURIER • NOVEMBER 23, 2017 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
Burglars hit six
businesses along
Bayside’s Bell Blvd.
BY SUZANNE MONTEVERDI
smonteverdi@qns.com / @smont76
Police are investigating aft er six Bayside businesses
reported break-ins over the course of 24
hours.
A string of six commercial burglaries took place
along Bell Boulevard between 38th and 42nd
Avenues sometime between Nov. 18 and the early
hours of Nov. 20, an NYPD spokesperson said.
Perpetrators hit three businesses at 38th Avenue
and three at 42nd Avenue, according to police.
Th e pattern included the following:
Between 7 and 9:20 a.m., on Nov. 20, perpetrators
broke into Sterling Pharmacy at 38-01, Bell
Blvd., through a back door and stole $2,000 and
prescription medications.
Between 11:19 p.m. on Nov. 19 and 9:20 on
Nov. 20, Tanko Japanese Fusion at 38-05 Bell
Blvd. was broken into through a rear door. A
total of $500 in cash was stolen.
Between the same time frame, the suspects
broke into neighboring Michael’s Place Salon at
38-07 Bell through a rear door. Nothing was stolen
from this location.
Between 10 a.m. on Nov. 19 and 10:45 a.m. on
Nov. 20, perpetrators broke into Bb’s Packaging
& Shipping at 42-06A Bell Blvd. through a rear
door. Th e perpetrators stole $600 from this location.
Between 7 a.m. and 1:12 p.m. on Nov. 20, perpetrators
broke into H&R Block at 42-04 Bell
Blvd. through a rear door. No property was
removed from this location.
Between 10:00 p.m. on Nov. 18 and 1 p.m.
on Nov. 20, perpetrators broke into Paradise
Furniture at 42-02 Bell Blvd. through a rear door.
Th ey removed $1,000 worth of tools from the
location.
Each of the businesses fi led reports with the
111th Precinct. Police did not provide information,
as of yet, regarding the number and/
or description of the perpetrators involved. Th e
investigation is ongoing.
On Nov. 21, offi cers from the precinct were
seen handing out fl yers to local businesses owners
alerting them to the crimes.
Anyone with information in regards to this
incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime
Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for
Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). Th e public can
also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime
Stoppers website or by texting their tips to 274637
(CRIMES) then enter TIP577. All calls and messages
are kept confi dential.
Queens lawmaker’s bill to criminalize
‘revenge porn’ passes NYC Council
BY SUZANNE MONTEVERDI
smonteverdi@qns.com / @smont76
Revenge porn will soon be outlawed
in New York City.
Th e City Council voted unanimously
on Nov. 16 to approve Queens
Councilman Rory Lancman’s bill
aimed at stopping the practice of
spreading X-rated content of an individual
America China Hotel Association Corp. donates
to keep the arts alive at Queens Theater
Queens Courier co-publisher
China Hotel Association Corp.’s contribution
Victoria Schneps presented Taryn
to the Th eatre. We have an
Sacramone of the Queens Th eater
ambitious season of theater and dance
and Derek Law, Vice Chairman of
as well as education programs happening,
the America China Hotel Association
and depend on the generosity
Corp., with a check for $1,200 —
of friends in the community to make
raised from the raffl e sales at the
it all happen,” Sacramone said.
Hotel Association’s Premiere Gala
“On behalf of the Queens Th eatre
event — to help fund another season
staff and Board members, as well
of incredible theater.
as the audiences and students we
“We are grateful for the America
serve, I want to thank them, and of
course Vicki Schneps and the Queens
Courier. One of Vicki’s amazing gift s
is her ability and willingness to connect
people in this borough.”
“The America China Hotel
Association Corp. is delighted to be
able to help the Queens Th eatre,” Law
added. “Our Premiere Gala event was
a success, and we’re proud that the
evening’s raffl e will benefi t such a
wonderful organization.”
without their consent online.
If Mayor Bill de Blasio signs the bill
into law, disclosing or threatening to
disclose intimate and explicit images
of another person without their
consent and with the intent to cause
harm would become a misdemeanor
off ense in New York City.
“Revenge porn” is a form of sexual
assault in the modern age that perpetrators
use to humiliate or embarrass
victims. A total of 38 states plus
the District of Columbia currently
have laws specifi cally to combat the
off ense, according to the Cyber Civil
Rights Initiative. Neither New York
state nor New York City currently
have any laws on the books, according
to Lancman.
Th e off ense would be punishable by
up to one year in jail, a $1,000 fi ne or
both. In addition to creating a criminal
penalty, the bill also creates a civil
cause of action for victims, which
would granted them the opportunity
to seek compensatory and punitive
damages and injuctive relief.
A 2016 study by the Data & Society
Research Institute found that one in
25 Americans has been a victim of
threats or posts of nearly nude or
nude images and young adults are
more likely than older adults to have
had someone post an explicit photo
without their permission.
Th e study also found that men and
women are “equally likely” to have
sensitive photos posted.
Lancman’s bill is modeled aft er a
state bill introduced by Bayside-based
Assemblyman Edward Braunstein.
The Hillcrest-based councilman
announced the piece of legislation
alongside Manhattan Councilman
Dan Garodnick, victim advocates and
a revenge porn victim at a press conference
in April.
“Criminalizing revenge porn will
ensure New Yorkers are protected
and those who take part in this despicable
conduct will face serious consequences,”
Lancman said. “I commend
the victim advocates, law enforcement
personnel and revenge porn
survivors who raised their voices to
make this day a reality.”
“With a click of a mouse, careers
are put in jeopardy, relationships
are damaged, and online harassment
becomes a daily battle — all because
of revenge porn,” Garodnick said.
“Today we send a message to bullies
and domestic abusers that this vile
behavior is unacceptable — and now
criminal — in New York City.”
Queens Council members who
co-sponsored the bill included
Donovan Richards, Elizabeth
Crowley and Daniel Dromm.
Photo by Suzanne Monteverdi/QNS
Photo via Pexels
Photo by Anthony Giudice/QNS