By Adam Kramer
The murder rate declined by 41.6 percent, with seven murders in 2000 vs. 12 in 1999.
The seven major crimes are murder, rape, robbery, felony assault, burglary, grand larceny and auto theft.
The 105th Precinct, with headquarters at 92-08 222nd St. in Queens Village, covers Glen Oaks, Floral Park, New Hyde Park and Bellerose to the north and Cambria Heights, Queens Village, Laurelton, Springfield Gardens and Rosedale to the south.
The second largest drop in violent crime was the 23.4 percent decrease in the number of rapes reported throughout the precinct. Rapes declined to 36 in 2000 from 47 reported in 1999.
In the first six months of 1999, the suspected “Rosedale Rapist” Rodolfo Beach, 31, of 249-11 147th Rd., allegedly raped women on Jan. 12 and March 21 in Laurelton. Beach was arrested later that year and could face up to 75 years in jail if convicted of the rape charges, said the Queens district attorney's office.
Five out of the seven crime categories in 2000 experienced a drop compared with the same period in 1999, while grand larceny auto theft and grand larceny rose there was an overall decrease in crime by 6.93 percent, police said.
Robbery decreased 10.5 percent to 433 during 2000 from 484 cases in 1999
Burglary dropped to 658 incidents in 2000 from 802 the previous year for a drop of 17.9 percent.
Felonious assaults declined 13.6 percent, with 328 incidents vs. 380 in 1999.
The greatest increase was in grand larceny, which climbed 8 percent to 483 reported incidents in 2000 from 447 in 1999.
Grand larceny auto rose less than 1 percent, with 1,035 reported incidents opposed to the 1,030 in 1999 – a 0.4 percent increase.
But murder showed a sharp decrease from 1999, dropping from 12 to seven in 2000.
Police said one of the murders was the Jan. 9 killing of Roy Douglas, 31, who was shot in a parking lot at 218-59 Hempstead Ave. in Cambria Heights. Wydell Simpkins, 28, and Patrick Brunache, 27, were arrested and charged with the murder, police said.
On Jan. 23 Dominick Fiamma, 58, was shot in his second-floor apartment at 251-03 71st Ave. in Glen Oaks. Police said Keith Billups was arrested and charged with murder.
On May 13 someone opened fire on Brooklyn residents Marcus Morris, 33, and Dwight Rickets, 30, as they sat in their car at 110th Avenue and 225th Street in Cambria Heights, police said. Morris was shot in the head and died at the scene. No arrests have been made, police said.
On Oct. 26 Youius Lafalouse, 52, died on the operating table at North Shore University Hospital two hours after he was shot once in the stomach and once in the leg by one of four unidentified gunmen who robbed 10 patrons at the social club under La Belle Creole barber shop at 227-09 Linden Blvd., police said. No arrests have been made, police said.
Sheila Pecoraro, president of the 105th Precinct Community Council, a civic organization that serves as a liaison between the community and the 105th, said she was very glad that violent crimes were down and the decline in the overall numbers was very positive.
Violent crimes are murder, rape and felonious assault, which is defined by the police as inflicting severe physical injury on a victim. Merely brandishing a weapon is considered menacing, a lesser charge.
“You can never eliminate crime,” Pecoraro said. “How much the numbers will drop, I do not know. But if crime numbers didn't drop anymore, I wouldn't be shocked.”
She said even though she was extremely pleased by the job officers in the 105th Precinct were doing to control crime, her new year wish would be to see more police officers on the street, which would “give them more visibility.”
All city precincts, including the 105th, compile and submit their crime numbers to police headquarters in Manhattan every Monday. The reports are used to compile crime statistics and are ultimately sent to the FBI.
