STAR OF BROOKLYN: Ilene Sacco

Ilene Sacco, President of the 68th Precinct Community Council,Board Member of the Dyker Heights Civic Association, formerPresident of the Bay Ridge Community Council

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Sacco has been president of the 68thPrecinct Community Council for the last four years, a job sherelishes. The role of the position is to foster good relationshipsbetween the police and the community and also disseminate crimeprevention materials, Sacco said. She feels the organizationprovides a vital link between area residents and local lawenforcement. It really works better when everyone works together,she said regarding the task of protecting the peace.

JOB: For the last seven years, Sacco has worked for the New YorkState Office of People With Developmental Disabilities. It’s wherepeople go to get help to become independent, she said. A licensedattorney, Sacco runs two programs for the government agency: afamily education initiative, and training and communityrehabilitation efforts. Although she describes the position assink or swim, she says she enjoys making a difference. My officegoes above and beyond to do whatever it can to make peoples’ livesbetter, she said.

MOST DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTIC: Sacco acknowledges the hugerole that local activism plays in her life. My communityactivities are super important to me, she said. It’s kind of hardto explain, but it’s a way of life. The people who do this stuff,they just do it. She also acknowledges that her work within thecommunity is a non-stop commitment. More than I find myself goingto dinner, I go to a dinner, Sacco said.

GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT: Sacco and her husband are currentlyworking on what she feels will be her most significantaccomplishment. My husband and I are trying to adopt, sheexplained. When that happens, that’ll be our greatest achievement.Can I say it’s my greatest achievement that hasn’t happenedyet?

INSPIRATION: When asked what it is that inspires her, Sacco saidsimply, Feeling that I’ve made a difference. And the differencecan be seen in the valuable local outreach that the 68th PrecinctCommunity Council provides. I get calls when people are havingissues, she explained. If there’s something going on, on theirblock, people are sometimes afraid to go to their policeprecincts. And, to Sacco, anything she can do to help lawenforcement catch criminals is well worth the effort. In all thethings I’ve done to make the community a better place, anytime abad guy gets stopped from doing bad things, everybody benefits,she said.

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