Congratulations to sophomore, Ethan Shenker, winner in the Police Athletic League’s Police Commissioner for A day Essay Contest advertised in this section of Weekly Update #25. Ethan, along with one other Manhattan teen, were sworn in as Commanding Officers of Patrol Borough Manhattan North and South by Police Commissioner, James P. O’Neill. Over 140 youngsters are assigned for the day to deputy commissioners, police chiefs, borough commanders and precinct captains throughout the five boroughs. Ethan accompanied Manhattan Borough Commanders on official police duties. Ethan contributes, “the topic for this year’s essay was to write about a problem in your neighborhood that we'd be able to fix as Police Commissioner for the day, and I decided to write about a recurring issue surrounding the dangers that pedestrians face in walking around my neighborhood, in terms of the fact that the police in my area don’t really pay attention to the vehicles that block intersections, and that creates hazardous conditions for everyone trying to walk around the area. I wrote that a number of changes need to be made in order to make the area pedestrian-friendly, including the retraining of the police in the area, along with the retiming of traffic lights in order to make the area more fluid in terms of the traffic that passes through. Additionally, I recommended that cameras be installed at intersections to help better hold drivers accountable for the poor decisions they make behind the wheel when in heavy traffic, as most drivers tend to focus on the ways they can get to their destinations quicker, with little to no regard for the safety of those on foot”. Congrats on your winning essay, Ethan and thanks for sharing! (photos courtesy of Mr. Moran and Ethan).
