Staten Island’s new police borough commander, Assistant Chief John Buttacavoli, is making gang violence a priority. The 29-year veteran wants to stop young people getting hurt, using intelligence and school deployments. He took command in June and now oversees policing in the community where he lives. Major crime was down 3 percent year-to-date as of Oct. 4, but shootings increased. The borough recorded 11 shooting incidents, compared with 8 in the previous year. Police are also raising awareness of jewelry swap scams targeting Staten Island’s seniors.
