110th Precinct’s new community offi cers
aim to build neighborhood ties
» BY CHRIS ERIKSON
On patrol on a recent afternoon,
NYPD officers
George Morinia-Blocker
and Carlos Pacheco surveyed Le-
Frak City’s Central Courtyard. Th e
offi cers spotted a couple sitting on
a bench by the Great Lawn, and the
offi cers quietly approached the pair.
They weren’t looking to bust
lawbreakers or roust loiterers. The
officers were handing out flyers to
spread the word about an upcoming
neighborhood meeting, where
they’d be meeting with residents to
talk about issues in the community
and how they might be able to help.
As the encounter suggests, Pacheco
and Morinia-Blocker aren’t typical
cops. Th ey’re Neighborhood Coordination
Offi cers (NCOs), on the
job since last October in the 110th
Precinct’s sector C, which includes
LeFrak City. Part of the NYPD’s
Neighborhood Policing Plan, a restructuring
of the way precinct patrols
operate, NCOs are designed to
serve as bridge between precincts
and the residents they serve, and as
community problem solvers.
“It’s about getting the patrol cops
and the public communicating more
directly, and building trust,” says Offi
cer Morinia-Blocker, 29, an eightyear
veteran of the force, who grew
up in Jamaica, Queens.
Typically, he notes, the public
communicates to the department
only through 311 complaints or 911
calls, answered by offi cers who are
there to address the matter at hand
and then move on to the next call.
By contrast, the NCOs — who’ve
been rolled out gradually in precincts
across the city over the past
two years — are tasked with community
building: with reaching out
to neighborhood groups, visiting
schools and churches, and getting
to know community leaders, shopkeepers
and residents. They hand
out their cellphone numbers and
email addresses and encourage residents
to reach out with a question or
a concern.
“It’s less of an enforcement attitude,
and more of a ‘How can we
NYPD Offi cers Carlos Pacheco (left) and George Morinia-Blocker (right) reaching out to residents in LeFrak City’s Central Courtyard.
TThe pair are among the local precinct’s new Neighborhood Coordination Offi cers, tasked with making community connections.
help you’ attitude,” says Offi cer Pacheco,
49, a father of seven girls who
grew up in Hollis, and has been on
the force for 17 years. “Like, here’s
my number, here’s my email, give me
a text, give me a call.”
12 APRIL 2018 | WWW.QNS.COM | LEFRAK CITY COURIER
And their goal is also to take a bigpicture
view of issues in the community,
addressing quality of life problems
and considering ways to tackle
them at the root.
NCOs go through several weeks
of training that encompasses investigation
techniques, community
relations, and familiarization with
city and social service agencies
ranging from the sanitation and
building departments to Alcoholics