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Chief takes the cake

By Helen Klein

The cake bore the image of a police shield – an appropriate symbol since the occasion being celebrated was the recent promotion of the commanding officer of the 68th Precinct to deputy inspector. When the cake was presented, during the February meeting of the precinct’s community council, D.I. Eric Rodriguez, who has headed up the precinct since fall, 2006, seemed just a bit abashed. “I’m not into receiving stuff,” he told the group gathered at the station house, 333 65th Street. “I’m not used to it. I don’t do this for that. The highest honor I got — someone pulled me over a couple of weeks ago and said, ‘You treat the precinct like it’s your family.’ I really feel it is my family.” “It’s not me,” Rodriguez added. “I’m getting acknowledged because of what these guys do.” Nonetheless, the praise for the job that Rodriguez has done was effusive. Bob Capano, on behalf of Representative Vito Fossella, presented Rodriguez with a proclamation and told him, “Since 1999, I’ve worked with several commanding officers at the 68. You have certainly taken it to a new level in working with the community and in working with the elected officials.” Tobias Russo, who presented Rodriguez with a proclamation from New York Governor Eliot Spitzer, concurred. “You really did improve the quality of life here,” he told Rodriguez. Ilene Sacco, the community council’s recording secretary, noted that Rodriguez had been extremely supportive of the group’s efforts. Thanking him for, “His leadership and guidance and insight,” Sacco said that, when Rodriguez offers suggestions, “He’s usually right. “We really are very proud of him,” she stressed. “Since he came to the precinct, there’s been nothing but hard work to improve the quality of life of our neighborhood.”