John Chell told Newsmax on Tuesday that a violent car meet-up incident in the Malba neighborhood of Queens over the weekend represented a serious failure of policing optics and raised concerns about how the city will respond to similar crimes in the months ahead.
Chell, the New York Police Department’s chief of department from 2024-25, addressed reports of the attack late Saturday in which a group of about 40 individuals — described by investigators as coming from the Bronx — flooded into the quiet waterfront community.
Videos from the scene showed a mob setting cars on fire and violently confronting residents, including a husband and wife who were surrounded on their front lawn. Malba is one of Queens’ most exclusive neighborhoods, with home prices commonly exceeding $2 million.
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