Bay Ridge celebrates precinct’s former CO, retiring community council prez

Members of the 68th Precinct Community Council and the Bay Ridge community said their goodbyes to Deputy Inspector Raymond Festino and former Community Council President Ilene Sacco at a farewell party on Thursday, June 17 at the Bay Ridge Manor.

Festino, who served for two years at the precinct as commanding officer, and Sacco, who served for 10 as council president, were honored at the ceremony for all of their hard work and the impact they have had on the precinct, council and community.

“Raymond and Ilene’s shoes are going to be hard to fill. Both of them are well-respected between the community and the precinct,” said Captain Joseph Hayward, the current commanding officer of the 68th Precinct, who took over from Festino this spring.

Community Board 10 member June Johnson will remember Sacco as a bridge between the community and the precinct.

“She has had an excellent impact on the precinct and community. She knows what’s going on in the neighborhood and always tells the truth,” said Johnson.

Festino, who has already assumed his new role as commanding officer of the detective squad at Patrol Borough Brooklyn South, was humbled to be honored at the ceremony. While he likes his new position, he misses being a part of the 68th Precinct.

“There’s a sense of community here that you don’t experience anywhere else,” said Festino.

While she will no longer be president, Sacco stressed that she will still be heavily involved with the neighborhood. Like Festino, she believes the camaraderie between the precinct and community is something special.

“It’s a bittersweet moment. I’m not leaving because I stopped loving it, I’m leaving because I loved it so much,” said Sacco.

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.