Q&A: Aida I. Haddock

December 15, 2009

Aida I. Haddock has been a member of the 48th Precinct Community Council for close to 30 years, and president for six. Born and raised in the area, she has lived on the same block between East Tremont Avenue and Fairmont Place for 40 years. The council holds a monthly public meeting at which police officers, including the precinct’s commanding officer, make themselves available to answer questions and complaints. But recently, only 10 or 15 people each month have attended. Last week, the Tremont Tribune sat down with Haddock to get her take on crime and community involvement. 

When did you first get involved in the Community Council?

Close to 30 years ago. The president before me was also the president of my block association, Hilda Singleton. She was an excellent human being. That’s when we first started having block associations, doing vegetable gardens and cleanups. I saw that there was a need to get involved, so I started going to meetings.   

You feel like there was a surge of community activism back then?

Out of the woodwork. When I started, it was cleaning up lots to make community gardens. Then from there, we went into youth counseling and doing programs for the youth. You had, if I’m not mistaken, students from Cornell Extension, students out of Columbia. They taught us how to do the community gardens, and then about activism as a parent in the public schools, what parent rights were. So there was a surge, in the late ‘80s, all these different organizations coming into communities like mine and empowering you. But that was a long time ago. Now – it just is what it is.  

What is the mission of the precinct council?

The community councils are a liaison between community and police. The meetings are open meetings. When people come to the meetings, they can meet the officers that serve them: the commanders, the detectives, the different units. They can ask questions, they can have more of a say. 

Is there a solid relationship between 48th Precinct and community?

I wouldn’t say it’s solid. Like with everything, you have good and bad. But I would say there is a reasonable relationship. I think that in the last 15, 20 years, the relationship between the community and the police officers that serve it has definitely gotten better. There’s more understanding on both sides.  

I was at a meeting recently in which community residents argued that to halt violence, there needs to be a major investment in local communities. What role do the police play in that?

The police can only do so much, and the police [department] is an after-effect agency. It’s not a preventive measure. It’s after something happens that an officer gets called.

They need to teach children to respect the uniform, the old-fashioned way. When I was young, you respected the uniform, regardless of the color of the skin. That’s the way you were taught. Nowadays, that’s different. Right away you’re going to say, the officer violated my rights, the officer did this and that. But an officer in uniform has the right to give you a command. And we, as citizens, should listen to that. And then if the officer speaks to you in a disrespectful manner, then you follow the chain of command to have that officer reprimanded. But people don’t see it that way anymore. Right away they open their mouth and disrespect an officer. Meanwhile, you needed that officer and then you called them and they came to your need! I always say, it’s two sides to the coin. It’s gotta be both of us working hand in hand.  

Interview by Rachel Waldholz

Written by admin · Filed Under Latest, News/Features, Q&A 

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