By Bob Harris
Recent statistics show New York City’s crime rate to be low. For a long time there has been a sustained effort to reduce crime. Police have been using innovative techniques to lower crime. Civic associations have helped by putting information in their newsletters.
The 107th Precinct Community Council is an informative outlet where citizens can air their crime concerns to the precinct’s officers. One can always call the 107th Precinct to complain or obtain information. The community affairs officers in the 107th Precinct can be reached at 718-969-5973. If a crime is in progress, one should call 911, and if one suspects acts of terrorism, the appropriate number to call is 1-888-NYC-SAFE.
Officers from the 107th Precinct will come to your civic, tenant or club meetings to discuss anti-crime techniques. At one West Cunningham Park Civic Association, an officer explained that if one walks confidently then criminals will most likely leave him or her alone. A hanging pocketbook or the bulge of a wallet in a back pocket are things criminals look for.
Captain Charles Talamo of the 107th Precinct will also visit your meeting, but be aware that if there is an emergency, the officers may have to skip the appointment.
The 107th Precinct Community Council meets the last Tuesday of every month and is composed of elected volunteer civilians who bring community involvement to the precinct. Members invite interesting speakers to address the neighborhood residents who attend.
The captain or his representative is required to attend each meeting and make a crime report to the community. Usually a dozen police officers and auxiliary officers attend. But if people don’t get involved then the police will not know what is going on in residents’ neighborhoods.
At the April 27 meeting, Talamo gave the Cop of the Month awards to Officer Eric Sperling and Officer Christopher Reese for getting an automatic weapon off the street while making a burglary arrest. Auxiliary Officer Tanya Tarek was given the AP/O of the Month award for volunteering more than 100 hours a month and for her dedication to the community.
This is a good way of showing appreciation to our officers and showing the community what they do. Another way is through the various civic newsletters, which report on precinct activities within their neighborhoods. The Rosedale Civic Association’s April edition printed Compstat statistics for the 105th Precinct to inform residents of present and past crime numbers.
And the April newsletter of the Queens Village Civic Association listed safety tips on how to protect one’s car. The newsletter advises to park in a well-lighted place, keep windows and doors locked when driving, activate anti-theft devices and to not leave driver’s license, registration or title in the car. It also said that women should lay their purses on the floor, out of sight, and not on the front seat.
The Rocky Hill Civic Association Bulletin explained that it had invited the 105th Precinct deputy inspector to its April meeting, and the April newsletter of the Jamaica Estates Association had a picture of its Compstat security officer and the account manager in charge of the paid patrol.
The April newsletter of the West Cunningham Park Civic Association reported the capture of a burglary ring of several dozen foreign nationals who police say preyed on homes with silver metal front doors due to their popularity among Asians. Reports said it was thought that Asians keep in their homes large amounts of money that they bring back from their businesses, making them ideal targets for burglaries.
The May newsletter of the Briarwood Community Association explained that the area was declared an impact zone due to the home burglaries mentioned above, and 24 additional police officers were assigned to all the precincts in central Queens due to those burglaries.
With these arrests, our crime rate should go down even lower. The newsletter also listed steps people should take to keep crime down.
The May newsletter of the Douglaston Civic Association told of the various auto-theft prevention programs available from your precinct.
Good and bad news of the week
The good news is that the increase in gasoline prices seems to have slowed down the purchase of those big SUVs that are so dangerous. I still find driving very treacherous when I come to a corner and parked there is large SUV with black windows.
I can’t see through the windows the way I can through those of a regular car so I can’t tell what is coming down the street behind the SUV.
An SUV has twice the rollover rate of a regular car. I would hate to be near one when it rolls over, especially the way some of them weave in and out of traffic.
