BRONX W www.BXTimes.com EEKLY February 10, 2019 6
A new law passed by the
New York State Legislature
which Governor Cuomo supports,
“The Child Victims Act,”
will allow victims of childhood
sexual abuse to recover damages
in a court of law. The bill
extends the civil statute of limitations
to allow civil actions to
be brought until a victim’s 55th
birthday for child sexual abuse
which occurred before age 18. A
one year window has been created
for adult survivors to commence
civil actions for damages
which under current law are
barred because of the statute of
limitations. This one year window
will begin six months after
the law takes effect so victims
up until their 55th birthday can
bring civil lawsuits against individuals
or public and private
institutions from churches to
public school districts for child
sexual abuse that they may have
suffered many decades ago. The
Legislature also removes the
current Notice of Claim requirements
for public entities in cases
involving child sexual abuse
so a Notice of Intention to make
claim against municipalities
within 90 days is not required
in order to bring a lawsuit.
Sexual abuse against a child
is a shameful unforgivable act.
It is a traumatizing experience
that can take a lifetime to come
to terms with. While this new
law cannot erase what happened
to victims, it will give victims
an opportunity to recover damages
in a Court of Law for what
happened to them.
While the one year window
to bring a legal action will not
begin until 6 months after the
law takes effect victims should
consult an attorney as soon as
possible to begin the painful
and arduous task of their gathering
medical records and other
evidence of their victimization.
Sector A Neighborhood Coordination Offi cers from the 49th Precinct, pictured here, will be at the
Morris Park Community Association for a ‘Build The Block’ meeting on Tuesday, February 12. Sector A
covers Van Nest and Morris Park. The NCO program has been in operation in the 49th Precinct for one
year. Schneps Media / Patrick Rocchio
MPCA hosts 49th Pct. Sector
A NCO offi cers, February 12
BY PATRICK ROCCHIO
It’s been a year since the
Neighborhood Coordination
Offi cer program, a citywide
initiative, launched in
the 49th Precinct, and community
interest appears
strong.
The program, which
dedicates two police offi -
cers doing enforcement in
direct communication with
citizens in their sector, began
in the precinct in January
2018, and has proven
itself many times over, multiple
sources told the Bronx
Times.
The Morris Park Community
Association is inviting
residents from Morris
Park and Van Nest, Sector
A in the 49th Precinct, to a
‘Build the Block’ meeting
with their NCO offi cers on
Tuesday, February 12.
The meeting takes
place at the MPCA at 1824
Bronxdale Avenue. Doors
will open for refreshments
at 6:30 p.m. and the meeting
begins at 7 p.m.
Ostacio ‘Lefty’ Negron,
coordinator of the MPCA
community patrol, which
operates most evenings and
on Wednesdays during the
day, said that he encourages
the public to come to
the meeting and contribute
their input to police offi -
cers.
“This is an opportunity
to tell the police directly
about crime-related issues
you have in your communities
so that the police offi -
cers can fi nd ways to fi x the
situation,” said Negron.
Detective Jay Sturdivant,
of the 49th Precinct
Community Affairs offi ce,
said that the two police offi
cers assigned for the past
year to Sector A were promoted,
with Police Offi cer
Janine Varela now a detective
assigned to the 49th
Precinct squad.
“I’m really proud of her,”
said Sturdivant, adding
that with three years on the
job, Varela’s NYPD career
is taking off like a rocket.
The other police offi cer
Danny Cannova, was promoted
to detective and will
be working in narcotics
control, said Sturdivant.
The two new NCOs for
the precinct’s Sector A
meeting with the public on
February 12 are police offi
cers Angel Cruz and Patrick
Nicewicz, said the community
affairs detective.
Their NCO position is
different than the NYPD
Community Affairs Bureau
in that the police offi cers‘
role is in enforcement, explained
the detective.
Sturdivant said that as
the community affairs and
commanding offi cers attend
meetings throughout the
community, they receive
positive feedback about the
program.
“I am being honest and
transparent when I say that
I love the program,” said
Sturdivant.
The NCOs often exchange
emails, phone numbers
and business cards
with community members,
said Negron. They also hold
periodical Build The Block
community meetings.
This meeting is also a
good opportunity to learn
more about the MPCA patrol
and see if you would
be a good fi t for it, said Negron.
The president of the
MPCA, Al D’Angelo, said
that the association’s patrol
doesn’t directly get involved
in apprehensions. It relays
anything they may come
across to police, he said.
“The more people in
the patrol, the easier it is
for the community,” said
D’Angelo, adding that typically
community members
feel safer when the patrol
is around and that volunteers
only need to devote
a couple of hours a week
to it.
D’Angelo said he though
the NCOs serve the community
well.
Silvio Mazzella, a 49th
Precinct Community
Council board member,
said he has received positive
feedback about the
precinct’s NCOs.
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