By Michael Morton
Although the department said it could not comment on personnel issues, a source familiar with the investigation said the probe led to the commander, Deputy Inspector Thomas Manzolillo, being moved. The status of the inquiry could not be determined, and the police declined to comment on the matter.
The 105th runs from Glen Oaks in the north down along the Nassau border to Brookville in the south. Capt. Steven O'Brien, formerly a housing police commander in Brooklyn, took the precinct reins July 5 after receiving the assignment from superiors.
In a telephone interview earlier this week, O'Brien described his word of his new assignment as a “Monday morning phone call out of the blue,” but said, “I think I'll be here for some time.”
Manzolillo is now second in command of District 12, a transit bureau in the Bronx, police said. He did not return a call seeking comment, and the captain's union to which he belongs said they could not discuss the matter.
The deputy inspector took over the 105th Precinct in Queens Village on Feb. 9 after a three-year run as head of Ozone Park's 106th Precinct. He began his police career in 1988 at the 83rd Precinct in Brooklyn and had said the department moved him around frequently to plug holes.
Earlier in his 105th Precinct tenure, officers from the precinct said Manzolillo placed an extra emphasis on the analysis and mapping of crime, which he had a reputation for lowering wherever he went.
But during a community meeting June 30, Manzolillo acknowledged the precinct was being investigated by the Police Department for allegedly fudging crime statistics. Commanders are expected to show decreases in incidents at department meetings, and the deputy inspector indicated that the precinct had done nothing wrong.
“It's just part of the job,” he said. “That's a black eye. It's infuriating, but it's an investigation.”
For the year through July 4, the 105th Precinct recorded a 10.47 percent decrease in crime to 1,052 incidents from 1,175 in the same period last year. The drop was one of the largest in Queens.
During his tenure, Manzolillo stepped up enforcement of truck-operating regulations, appointed a sergeant to head community affairs and planned a major initiative to crack down on noise at summer parties. He developed a reputation for working long hours and listening to the community.
Still new to his command, O'Brien did not discuss his plans. But he expected to hold an introductory meeting Thursday with the officers of area civic organizations.
“I think that's a nice way to start,” said Richard Hellenbrecht, chairman of the area's Community Board 13, noting that O'Brien was the first new commander to hold such a gathering in recent years.
The captain served as the executive officer of the 73rd Precinct in Brooklyn before moving on to head Police Service Area 3, a housing bureau in Brooklyn, for two years. The unit covered 22 developments in seven precincts, O'Brien said, a diverse command that led to his being tapped for the 105th post.
But the 105th Precinct covers the largest area in the city, and while he expressed respect for the new commander, a police source said the newcomer faced a tough job.
“He's going from the minor leagues to the majors.”
Reach reporter Michael Morton by e-mail at news@timesledger.com or by calling 718-229-0300, Ext. 154.
