Captain Hameed Armani addresses his first community meeting as commander of the 108th Precinct. Photo: Shane O’Brien
Feb. 26, 2025. By Shane O’Brien
The new commander of the 108th Precinct has described reports of a Sunnyside resident encouraging her dog to bite and attack multiple neighbors as an urgent concern.
Captain Hameed Armani, who assumed command of the 108th Precinct last month, fielded questions and concerns from residents during his first community meeting as precinct commander at Sunnyside Community Services at 43-31 39th St. on Tuesday evening.
Several attendees pleaded with Armani to do something about a local woman who allegedly walks her pit bull without a leash or muzzle and actively encourages the dog to bite passing neighbors.
Several people contended that they believe the woman is mentally ill, while one individual alleged that they had seen the dog lunge at a toddler in a stroller during a recent incident, stating the child’s mother was only barely able to steer her child to safety.
Residents said several incidents occurred in the vicinity of 46th Street and Skillman Avenue.
Meanwhile, several people on social media stated that the dog has a particular tendency to attack anything with wheels, including several people on bikes in the neighborhood. Other social media users said they now carry pepper spray to ward off attacks from the woman and expressed concern for visitors to the neighborhood who might not be aware of the situation.
Residents told Armani Tuesday night that they believed the series of attacks will end in tragedy if the dog continues to attack passing neighbors, particularly young children.
Armani said he had already been made aware of the issue, stating that he has heard several reports from local residents who have contacted the 108th Precinct since he took command last month.
The precinct has passed previous reports to the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), which oversees such matters, and Armani vowed to liaise with DOHMH and mental health services in the coming days about what steps they can take to address the issue.
Officials from the office of Council Member Julie Won said they have received multiple complaints related to the issue since January, stating that victims should file an in-person report at the local precinct or fill out DOHMH’s form to report an animal bite within 24 hours.
Won, meanwhile, stated that it was “unacceptable” that the NYPD and DOHMH have so far failed to take custody of the dog following multiple reports of bites.
“It’s unacceptable that neither NYPD nor DOHMH has taken custody of the dog. Despite multiple reports of dog bites, residents remain at risk because of the state and city laws regarding dogs as private property,” Won said in a statement Wednesday.
“DOHMH must act immediately and remove the dog before someone else or another dog gets very badly hurt. Everyone must leash their dog, it’s the law and responsibility for the safety of all of our neighbors.”
Photo: Shane O’Brien
Attendees at Tuesday’s community meeting pressed Armani about whether he could take action because the woman has allegedly committed several violations, including walking her dog without a leash and failing to muzzle it. However, Armani said the NYPD must actually observe a violation in order to take action.
Armani pledged to review everything that has already been done to address the issue and explore how he can expedite the process. Attendees expressed concern that following normal procedures and issuing fines and court summonses may not be effective if the woman is dealing with mental health issues, with several people contending that they believe that receiving a fine will not deter the woman.
Armani said reports described a “quality of life issue” and a “dangerous situation” and vowed to explore all legal options.
“Everybody has complained about this one individual now,” Armani said. “I don’t know a lot about the situation except what I’m hearing now, so I want to go through everything that they have, what has been done, and what we, as a police department, can do. I want to connect with the Department of Health or mental health, hygiene, or whatever else we can do.”
Sunnyside residents on social media stressed that the attacks were not the dog’s fault, describing the animal as “sweet” when it first arrived in the neighborhood. Several people accused the woman of training the dog to bite and attack bypassers in the street and said the “worst outcome” would be if the animal was euthanized.
Featured Events
