By George H. Tsai
In the early 1990s, the Guardian Angels were ubiquitous in New York City, patrolling the subway and streets day and night. These young volunteers were often hailed as heroes for their fight against bullies and petty larcenies.
Clad in military-type outfits, they served as a deterrent against crime and were credited with making the city safer. Unfortunately, for unknown reasons, they quietly vanished from the scene.
It seems community patrol is becoming an endangered species. But the College Point Security Patrol is here to stay, thanks to a group of dedicated volunteers.
College Point is just a stones throw from Flushing, where car thefts ranked first last year in New York City if not in the nation, and where nine Asian women were raped and robbed recently. The suspect, who was released from prison a few months ago, was arrested due to the swift action by the law enforcement authorities.
College Point also is close to the relatively affluent Bayside, where break-ins and vehicle thefts concern residents. Every Friday and Saturday after darkness, these volunteers drive around the neighborhood within a 50-mile radius to help thwart possible criminal activities in this growing community with a population of about 30,000.
Today, the need of such a patrol in College Point is even greater than before because of the new shopping mall featuring Target, Circuit City and the BJ wholesale store on 20th Avenue. A few hundred yards away from the mall is the Home Depot, which opened in early June. These businesses certainly attract a lot of customers, slowing traffic on 20th Avenue and also drawing some never-do-wells.
A new luxurious townhouse complex called Malba Bay stands behind 130th Street with Whitestone Bridge as its backdrop. The mall and the complex apparently brighten College Points image and lure people from other parts of Queens.
This 30-member patrol group, headed by Rocco Cardali, marked its 10th anniversary recently at the First Reformed Church in College Point. They were recognized for their volunteerism that has made College Point a more attractive and safer place to live.
Ten years ago, local teenagers were defacing the College Point parks, and there were gang fights in MacNeil Park. There was a rash of burglaries in the neighborhood. Elderly people were robbed after they left banks with their Social Security money.
To combat the crime, the group decided at a community meeting that College Point needed a patrol to work with police to make things safer. The College Point Security Patrol was founded on May 1, 1991.
Rocco Cardali, founder and president of the group, said, “We have made a definite difference in the quality of life here in College Point, and that was the reason we started the security patrol.”
During the past 10 years, Cardali said, the patrol group has reported hundreds of cases of illicit activity to the 109th Police Precinct. During a typical summer weekend, the group reports about 25 cases to police, she said. Some of its members, the oldest one at 83, are getting burned out, and Cardali calls on younger residents to join the patrol force to keep the task going and set an example for the neighboring communities to follow. “If I had new people, we could expand the hours,” he said.
The patrol members take turns in two-person units to cruise the streets of College Point in cars and on foot. They use seven radios and four cell phones to keep in touch with their home station, which relays any problems to the 109th Precinct or, if an emergency, to 911.
Cardali and his wife, Sabina, co-founder and secretary treasurer of the group (and my colleague at the TimesLedger) happen to be my next-door neighbors. They advise me from time to time on how to prevent a burglar from getting into the house. A bright front-door light at night is one of the strategies to deter a break-in, Mrs. Cardali said. During her night patrol, she checks my windows, making sure they are closed.
The retired couple are energetic and enthusiastic community activists. They devote their free time to the welfare of College Point residents. In addition to patrol, they are actively involved in such activities as chaperoning dances for youngsters, volunteering at the College Point Track Club road races and providing crime-awareness discussion group for senior citizens.
We need more people like the Cardalis.
