By Howard Koplowitz
The 105th, the largest precinct in the city in terms of geography, covers Glen Oaks, Bellerose, Floral Park in northeast Queens and Queens Village, Cambria Heights, Springfield Gardens, Laurelton and Rosedale in the southeast.Nine murders occurred inside the precinct in 2005, one less than the 10 in 2004 Ð a 10 percent decrease, according to the crime stats. Officer Jose Collado of the 105th Precinct said there were initially 10 murders recorded in the precinct last year but one incident was later deemed a justifiable homicide.There were 10 more reported rapes last year Ð 44 Ð than in 2004, when 34 were recorded, according to the statistics. The 29.4 percent increase in reported rapes is the largest increase between 2004 and 2005 in the 105th Precinct for any of the seven major categories of crime Ð murder, rape, burglary, robbery, felonious assault, grand larceny and grand larceny auto.Overall crime decreased by 6.3 percent in the 105th Precinct Ð from 2,349 incidents in 2004 to 2,201 in 2005. But the number of arrests increased by more than 30 percent Ð from 3,484 in 2004 to 4,607 last year, the statistics showed.The category where the 105th saw the largest decrease in incidents was grand larceny auto, which dropped nearly 20 percent from 2004 to 2005. The second largest decrease was felonious assault, which had about a 15 percent decline. There were 45 fewer felonious assaults reported from 2004 to last year Ð from 312 in 2004 to 267 in 2005. With a 10 percent drop, murder had the lowest decrease of the three major categories that declined from 2004 to 2005.Both burglary and grand larceny slightly increased in the 105th; incidences of reported burglary jumped from 468 in 2004 to 478 in 2005 while grand larceny increased by four reports Ð from 605 in 2004 to 609 in 2005.
