Vincent Greany in white shirt. (Photo: Mary Reinholz)
Capt. Vincent Greany, the 9th Precinct’s freshly minted top cop, was peppered with complaints last night about persistent quality of life offenses ranging from noisy rooftop parties to an excess of rats. In turn, he asked East Villagers for help finding someone who shot a 24-year-old in Alphabet City early yesterday morning.
“A young man got shot at around 2:30 in the morning,” the new commanding officer told about 50 residents during the precinct’s final community council meeting before summer break. “We don’t have a suspect and need your help. You’re the eyes and ears of your neighborhood.”
According to a police spokesperson, the victim was riding a bike in a group when an unidentified assailant shot him in the torso outside of NYCHA’s Bracetti Plaza on 279 E. 4th Street, near Avenue C. He was transported to Bellevue Hospital and is expected to survive but is not cooperating with police.
More than half an hour passed before Greany brought up the shooting. He started his remarks by commenting on the “devastating” mass shootings at a gay bar in Orlando and noting that there will be a heavier police presence at this year’s Pride parade.
From there, residents raised issues that were closer to home, starting with a rat infestation in a city-owned parking lot right across from the station house on East 5th Street. “They’re like an army of rats,” said Carol Puttree, a longtime resident of the block. “Do you have any plans for containing the garbage in the precinct?”
Attendees also railed about loud music at an apartment complex at 205 Avenue A, where the owner has hired a law firm and a contact person to work with residents. One man said his children were fearful of “13- and 14-year-old kids” running wild in the neighborhood, “using profanities and running with other kids who use marijuana. Some of these kids broke an awning in a store.”
Greany said there will be additional resources on the weekends to deal with parties and barbecues. He noted that there were 103 crimes reported in the precinct over the last 28 days. “We had 12 robberies and out of those 12, we had seven of people who knew the person taking things, so that reduced my anxiety,” he said. “Crime-wise, since I’ve been here, there’s been a lot of property theft. Cell phone theft. Identity Theft. Pay attention to who you give your credit card to. That’s what’s driving crime in this neighborhood. You have to protect your property.”
Greany, who arrived at the 9th last week from an organized crime unit, succeeds Deputy Inspector Peter J. Venice, who was promoted to lead the Midtown North Precinct on 54th Street.