You are reading

NYPD Appoints its First Female, Person of Color as Commanding Officer of 108 Precinct

Capt. Lavonda Wise (NYPD Twitter)

Dec. 9, 2020 By Christian Murray

The NYPD has appointed its first female captain and person of color to lead the 108 Precinct.

Capt. Lavonda Wise has just been named the new commanding officer of the 108 Precinct, which covers Sunnyside, Woodside and Long Island City.

Wise, who was transferred from the 115th Precinct in Jackson Heights, will lead a precinct for the first time.

She was second in command as the executive officer at the 115th Precinct prior to her appointment. She was also an executive officer at the 108 Precinct in 2015.

Wise, who has been with the NYPD for nearly two decades, takes over from Capt. Michael Gibbs who had the command for nearly 2 years.

Gibbs has been appointed as the executive officer for the NYPD Criminal Enterprise Division, which oversees organized crime.

Wise comes to the job with pedigree. Her mother was with the NYPD for approximately 30 years and was a detective.

The mother-and-daughter duo were profiled in the New York Post in 2016. Wise spoke about how her mother inspired her to join the force.

“I just remember being extremely proud of her and saying wow, you know, when I grow up I want to be a woman like that,” Wise said of her mother Detective Laverda Pugliese-Phipps.

email the author: [email protected]

One Comment

Click for Comments 

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Eastern Queens Greenway project connecting local parks gets $6 million in City Council funding

The Eastern Queens Greenway plan is a step closer to fruition after Council Member Sandra Ung joined Speaker Adrienne Adams in Kissena Park on Oct. 2, where they announced $6 million in funding to complete two sections of the greenway that will create a seamless connection between Flushing Meadows Corona Park and Alley Pond Park.

“We are fortunate in Eastern Queens to have a number of amazing parks, but in many places they are physically close but disconnected from one another,” Ung said. “This funding will create new connections and improve existing ones to create a continuous and safe path from Flushing Meadows to Alley Pond and beyond. These projects will increase access points to our open spaces, which in turn will make them safer for seniors, families, and those with mobility impairments.”