NEPONSIT

Continued from Page 2 all about observing and protecting. He’s the guy that can call 911 while people may be sleeping, and wait for police to arrive,” Calemine explained.

And he says the effort was highly effective in deterring criminals. “During a typical eight-hour shift, the security vehicle was passing each and every property on average five to seven times a night,” Calemine said. The program was a success. “It went very well. We had nothing but positive feedback from our members. The security guard basically tried to keep people moving and made sure the area was clear,” Calemine said. “We had no major incidents in the neighborhood during the pilot program. One guard responded to several burglar alarms, and they kept squatters from getting into some of the abandoned homes. It made a lot of people feel secure.”

That’s why the NPOA is hoping to keep it going. Since the beginning of the year, the private security has been on hiatus, but they’re hoping to get it going again and fund it through the end of the year. They just need a bit more participation from Neponsit homeowners. To help cover the costs of not only regular budget items such as maintaining the center malls along Rockaway Beach Blvd. and other areas in Neponsit, plus the upkeep of public parks in the area, the NPOA upped their dues this year from $75 to $100 to $400. Of the roughly 580 NPOA members, about 200 have sent in their dues.

“We raised about $90K and have the funding to get through the summer right now but this year, the NPOA's official goal is to keep this neighborhood safe through the end of the year,” Calemine said. “If we can get 80 more households to contribute, we’d be able to fund security for the rest of the year.” However, if each of the 580 homes contributed, those yearly dues would come down more, to about $200 each. Dues-paying members are permitted to partake in voting to decide exactly how the money should be spent in the community. And those who have paid so far, say bringing security back immediately is a top priority. “We gave those who paid four options for using security, and at a rate of nine to one, people want it immediately,” Calemine said.

Despite the increase in dues, Calemine believes it’s well worth it. “In the 100th Precinct, crime is up in several major categories. Out of seven major felonies, four are up significantly, with the biggest being grand larceny auto and burglaries. If people think about a deductible for their insurance if their car gets robbed, or the cost of a catalytic converter, how much are those things going to cost out of pocket? For $400, for the presence of a marked security car patrolling our neighborhood, and potentially preventing those crimes, it’s well worth it. That’s a little more than a dollar a day for peace of mind, knowing while you’re sleeping, there’s someone being our eyes and ears. It’s a no brainer. This is the least we can do to protect our loved ones and property.”

The NPOA has created a new, interactive website that makes it easy for members to pay their dues and see exactly what their money is going toward. “You can see the budget, see who’s paid dues, see the by-laws, etc. We built this website to get the NPOA to where it is and where we want to see it go and that takes awareness and transparency,” Calemine said. NPOA members can access the website at Neponsit.org

THURSDAY, MARCH 9, 2023