The Flushing Mutual Aid Team recently conducted a routine patrol and discovered three dark intersections that are potentially dangerous areas. They immediately reported the problems to 311 Call Center and other agencies, hoping for prompt action on these problems.

According to the team leader, Lin Shan Chu of the Council of American Associations, since the formation of the neighborhood watch, 210 people have applied – men and women of all ages, ranging in age from 18 to 70.

According to Chu, the three problematic spots are on Pople Street, Sanford Ave and 41st Ave., where the Mutual Aid Team is patrolling the streets at night. They believe that since many residents live nearby, it is dangerous to walk there at night. The team also noticed that more than 10 residential buildings had no hallway lights, making residents vulnerable to criminals. After communication with the landlords, many have agreed to install lights.

In addition to reporting the problems to Department of Motor Vehicles, Chu also talked to City Councilman Peter Koo (D-District 20), State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky (D,WF-District 16) and Assemblywoman Grace Meng (D-District 22) about the potential safety problems. Chu commented that recent tragedies brought the Mutual Aid Team much attention from the community. Currently, there are 210 participants, a third of them are women, most of them residents in Flushing.

Currently, the Team patrols every Monday through Friday, from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m., concentrating mostly around 41st Avenue, Main Street, and College Point, and say they want to expand their patrol to Kissena Blvd. The team purchased 5,000 whistles and also plan to purchase uniforms, cell phones, and speakerphones.