STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — A group of local elected officials and law enforcement personnel gathered outside St. Ann’s R.C. Church in Dongan Hills Thursday morning to update Staten Island residents with the latest on the recent trend of disturbing incidents at various Catholic churches across the borough.
According to Assistant Chief Melissa Eger, the NYPD borough commander, the individuals responsible for the various criminal acts in recent weeks have been arrested.
“So I want to emphasize that none of these incidents indicate the targeting of churches due to religious affiliation,” Eger said. “These acts were of opportunism and theft, with a separate incident involving a mentally-ill person. That said, any incident, especially a disruption of service that occurs at any house of worship, generates serious concern from our community and we know that.”
The NYPD is working closely with the Richmond County District Attorney’s Office to bring these criminal cases to their resolution and hold the offenders accountable.
Moreover, Eger shared that in the wake of these cases, NYPD Community Affairs officers have been dispatched to make regular visits to all houses of worship to reinforce relationships and provide guidance and safety measures.
The borough commander also explained that patrol officers have increased their presence at the victimized churches, as well as all religious institutions on the Island, in an effort to deter further criminal activity.
Among the leaders who joined Eger at the press conference were District Attorney Michael E. McMahon, Borough President Vito Fossella, state Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton and Rev. Jacob Thumma, the pastor of St. Ann Church.
This is a developing story. Additional information will be posted as it becomes available.