Who needs a nightstick or service revolver when you have Jerry Armer?
The Cobble Hill civic stalwart is among a growing brain trust of civilians that is helping cops from the 76th Precinct fight crime — part of an initiative launched by police brass to acclimate officers to hyper-local concerns.
Armer said the program began about two weeks ago when he addressed cops with a brief primer to the idiosyncrasies of the precinct, which spans Carroll Gardens, Red Hook, Cobble Hill, Gowanus and Columbia Waterfront District.
“This precinct is like a small town, from the economically disadvantaged to millionaires,” Armer said. “But you have to treat everyone with courtesy, no matter who you’re dealing with.”
The program doesn’t have a formal name and was launched earlier this month, according to Capt. John Lewis, the commanding officer. He said more civic legends would be invited to speak in the upcoming months.
“This brings quality-of-life problems to the forefront, and familiarizes our staff with local community leaders, ” the top cop said.
So far, other speakers have included Maria Pagano, the president of the Carroll Gardens Neighborhood Association; and Frances Brown, treasurer of the Red Hook East Tenant’s Association.
“I spoke about reaching out and being a part of the community,” Pagano said. “We need to know that they are approachable because they can be intimidating, especially for younger people.”
Brown had a pointed message to deliver from the Red Hook Houses, the largest public housing development in Brooklyn.
“We want the same policing they get in Cobble Hill,” she said. “We want to improve on the communication — and I thought they were very receptive to that.”