(PHOTOS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE)

This week, Councilman Chaim Deutsch was joined by Commissioner James O’Neill to dedicate three auxiliary police vans in memory of Auxiliary Assistant Chief Tony Christo.

Deutsch secured funding for the three vans in the city’s capital budget, and directed the money to ensure that each of the three precincts in his district received one of these new vans. The 60th, 61st, and 70th precincts are three of the highest performing precincts in New York City, all ranked in the top ten for crime reduction. The auxiliary units in each of these precincts, made up of volunteers, are extremely active, patrolling, directing traffic at events, and providing visibility where needed.

Deutsch chose to dedicate the vans in the memory of Auxiliary Assistant Chief Tony Christo, who passed away on December 6, 2016. Chief Christo was a member of the NYPD Auxiliary for more than 44 years, and dedicated his life in service to our City. He was a beloved community member in Southern Brooklyn, and was a common face at events, meetings, and police gatherings.

“I am privileged to have had the opportunity to honor Chief Christo with the dedication of three brand new vehicles to his beloved Auxiliary Unit,” said Councilman Chaim Deutsch. “Auxiliary police officers are the eyes and ears of the NYPD, and provide a vital service to our community. With more than 4,500 officers volunteering over one million hours of service every year, we owe them a debt of gratitude. I want to thank Commissioner O’Neill for taking the time to come into our district and honor Chief Christo’s memory, and thank the auxiliary police officers for their dedication.”

Deutsch and O’Neill were joined at the dedication ceremony by the commanding officer of Patrol Borough Brooklyn South, Chief Steven Powers and the commanding officer of the Auxiliary Police Section, Inspector Phylis Byrne. Also in attendance were leadership from the 60th, 61st, and 70th precincts – Inspector William Taylor, Captain James King, and Captain Megan O’Malley. Community leaders from every corner of the district attended as well, including: former Councilman Michael Nelson; Josh Mehlman, Chairman of the Flatbush Jewish Community Coalition; Joann Weiss and Theresa Scavo, Chairs of Community Boards 13 and 15; Baruch Moskowitz, Executive Coordinator of the Flatbush Shomrim; Jerry Greenwald, publisher of the Jewish Press; Yelena Makhnin, Executive Director of the Brighton Beach BID; Judy Baron, President of the Manhattan Beach Community Group; Ed Powell and Steve Frohlich, Presidents of the 70 and 60 community councils; Pervez Siddiqui, Director of the Apna Brooklyn Community Center; Sue Fox, Director of the Shorefront Y; Rabbi Moshe Wiener, Director of the JCC of Greater Coney Island; Steve Barrison and Jack Spadaro, President and Vice President of the Bay Improvement Group; and Delia Schack, District Leader for the 46th assembly district.

(YWN Headquarters – NYC)