There’s a new precinct commander at the Five-Two, as there is at every precinct in the city every two or three years.

So, community residents that attend community meetings are accustomed to seeing a new face more often then they’d probably like.   

The new commander of the 52nd Precinct, James Alles, has been on the job for three  months, but he made something of a debut at a Precinct Community Council Meeting two weeks ago. It was the first time he presided over a  Council meeting, which was held this May 17 in the basement of Cosmopolitan AME Church in University Heights.  

Dressed in a dark blazer, khaki pants and open-collared shirt, Alles held forth like an experienced talk show host, darting up the aisles, talking directly to his questioners.

While it was the first time Alles met many of the people in the almost-packed room, it certainly wasn’t the first time their complaints were aired at meetings like this.

One woman asked why officers at the precinct don’t pick up the phone at the precinct’s main desk (718-220-5811). "Are your phones out of order again?" she said, with a healthy dose of sarcasm. She said she had called one night about people drinking and making noise on East 209th Street in Norwood — a  perennial source of disturbances and community complaints — and  got no answer.

This particular complaint has been aired for years — 20 years was the figure Steve Bussell, a long-time member of the Council, cited — without any significant change in behavior at the precinct. Bussell is so used to the complaint that he said he didn’t expect there to be any changes in it. "It’s been a problem for 20 years. It’s never been solved," he told Alles. "You’re not going to solve it."

But Alles insisted that the issue is a "pet peeve" of his and that he’s been known to call the precinct desk himself to see if anyone answers. "The phones have to be answered," he declared. "If they’re not answering the phones, they’re going to have to deal with me." He also said he would address the issue at roll calls.

If no one answers the phone, Alles told residents to call 911, although he emphasized, "I’d rather my guys answer the phone."

Alles also discussed the precinct’s new "quality of life" unit (see Norwood News cover story in May 3 -16 issue), which Alles said would instead be called the "conditions unit." It addresses nuisance problems that don’t get addressed by cops on patrol who are too busy responding to radio calls to deal with noise and public drinking complaints.   

The precinct will look at a log of 311 calls to help them assess where these kinds of problems are and people can call the precinct directly with quality of life complaints. The issues can range from the infamous Mister Softee jingle to barbecuing on Mosholu Parkway to public drinking, Alles said

"Nothing’s too small," he said.

Alles reiterated that he is asking police headquarters for an expansion of the precinct’s Impact zones to include Tracey Towers and the Knox-Gates section of Norwood, following the recent shootings of four young Tracey tenants.

The current Impact Zones, targeted high-crime areas flooded by rookie officers, exist between 183rd and 184th Streets (and also up to Fordham Road) between University and Jerome avenues as well as on Creston Avenue between Fordham and Kingsbridge roads.

At the end of the meeting, Brenda Caldwell, the president of the Council announced a new borough-wide initiative whereby all the precinct councils meet together monthly. The effort, which seeks to build better relationships between cops and community sprung from the aftermath of the police shooting in Queens of Sean Bell. Caldwell invited new officers under Allese’s command to meet with the new group.

As all new commanders are, Alles was well received by people at the meeting, who sat at tables with white tablecloths, snacking on cookies and cake.

Shortly after introducing himself, Alles tried to set the tone for his tenure at the Five-Two.

"We’re out her to turn this precinct around," he told the crowd, though he praised his predecessor Joseph Hoch. "[We’re going to try] to make this precinct one of the safest in the Bronx."