Queens Precincts Pace City Crime Drop

Everyone knows crime is down overall in New York City, and here in Queens, precincts are reporting record low numbers in all major categories.
According to NYPD statistics, one of the precincts leading the way in crime reduction for the second year in a row is the 111th in Northeast Queens — down 25 percent while the city average is down five percent.
“The men and women assigned to the 111th Precinct are doing an outstanding job,” said NYPD spokesperson Inspector Michael Coan.
Covering an area of 9.4 miles, the 111th has reported no murders and only one rape this year.
“We’re doing very well across the board,” Lieutenant Daniel Heffernan, a 20-year NYPD veteran, told The Queens Courier. “Everyone works very hard.”
What 111th Commanding Officer Thomas Pilkington credits for the crime drop is simple: teamwork, both within and without the precinct.
“It’s the public’s civic duty to help police in solving a crime,” said Pilkington.
Every Queens precinct saw a reduction in crime figures (all but one — the 110th at seven percent — had a double-digit drop) since 2001, with the 101st Precinct leading the way at a staggering 53 percent.
The 102nd, 104th, 108th, 109th and 114th all had decreases of more than 25 percent.
Citing increased public involvement, a relationship with the Department of Education’s School Safety Division, and outreach to the business community and the media, Heffernan said, “We are definitely doing smarter policing and we’re getting better as the years go on.”
toni@queenscourier.com