LOWER EAST SIDE — The 7th Precinct’s new commanding officer promised to be a proactive and hands-on leader at a special Community Council meeting called to introduce him to the area on Wednesday night.
Capt. Steven Hellman recently took over the precinct’s top leadership position after the previous commanding officer, Capt. Joseph Simonetti, left earlier this month, after less than a year and a half in the command.
Simonetti is now commanding officer of the 6th Precinct, which covers Greenwich Village and the Meatpacking District.
Hellman — whose father, uncle and brother also worked in the NYPD — has been with the department for 21 years. He previously served as executive officer at the 9th and 13th Precincts, as well as Midtown North and Midtown South, his most recent assignment, he said.
Community Council meetings are typically suspended in the summer months, but Hellman said he asked for a special session because he didn’t want to wait months to meet the community.
Residents, business owners and local leaders apparently felt the same way — they packed a stuffy, sweltering room inside the 7th Precinct Stationhouse for the hourlong meeting.
“Let me just apologize for the conditions in here. We sent several requests for air conditioning to be fixed and they said by Christmas it’ll be fixed,” Hellman told those assembled. “This will be our last meeting in mid-summer, I promise.”
Hellman also promised to be a “proactive, not reactive” leader who would be responsive to the community.
“Don’t get it mistaken — every chronic 311 call that comes into this command, you’re going to get a personal call and visit from me,” he said. He later said he had "an open-door, an open-phone policy."
"My phone’s attached to my body. When I give you my phone number, it means you can call me. I mean it," he said.
