It was supposed to be just another night – a routine patrol along Queens Boulevard – part of my regular rounds through Forest Hills and Rego Park, while also delivering the Bukharian Jewish Link to our loyal readers. But then, the ordinary took a sharp turn.
Just before 64th Avenue, I spotted him – standing tall and unbothered – Sharpie in hand, marking up a city meter box in plain sight. He made no attempt to hide. He even added what looked like a street name – likely his personal “tag” – as if declaring ownership of the spot.
I pulled over, stepped out, and confronted him directly. “This is not cool,” I told him. “It’s not going to fly.” And it didn’t. He didn’t flinch. Instead, he fired back with a stream of loud, hateful, and aggressive remarks – crude and confrontational. This wasn’t just someone scribbling nonsense. It was someone who had no respect for the law – or for the community around him.
Only then did I call 911.
I stayed on the line with the dispatcher as I tracked him from a short distance. A few blocks later, at the TD Bank, he struck again – this time scribbling a smug Hi :) on the glass door, half-covered in paper. No message, no cause – just a mocking grin, left behind like a dare. He may have signed off with a smile – but his night didn’t end with one. By the time officers from the NYPD’s 112th Precinct arrived, the suspect had already slipped out of sight. But I knew the area – and I wasn’t giving up. Not long after, I found him near the Burger King by the LIE, casually talking with a friend.
I flagged down a second NYPD patrol car driving along the service road. I showed them the photo I had snapped earlier – yes, he’d actually posed for the camera mid-vandalism, as if proud of it. The officers confirmed his identity and moved in. Minutes later, the original responding unit arrived and placed him under arrest.
The first unit transported the suspect to the precinct for processing. Meanwhile, the second team remained on the scene, collecting and documenting evidence from both vandalized sites – a true display of coordinated precision.
What began as a quiet patrol ended with a textbook takedown. He may have signed off with a smile – but thanks to community vigilance, law enforcement partnership, and a little siyata diShmaya, his night certainly didn’t end with one.
At Queens Shmira, we take pride in defending the kavod of our neighborhoods. Whether we’re walking the beat or dropping off the paper, our mission remains the same: to keep our community clean, safe, and strong.
See something? Say something.
Because sometimes, all it takes is one person to make the difference.
By Shabsie Saphirstein
