Call for police station in park

Nine Queens City Councilmembers called on Mayor Michael Bloomberg to put a permanent safety facility inside Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in light of a spike in crime that took place in that area last year.
In 2006, the park had 56 felony complaints, making it the second most dangerous park in the entire city, only behind Central Park, according to statistics recently released by the City Council.
“These numbers translate into real fear among Queens residents to use their largest, most popular park,” said Councilmember Hiram Monserrate, who was one of the nine Queens representatives to sign the letter addressed to Bloomberg. “We can no longer afford to provide safety resources only after the fact. We need a proactive plan that utilizes the basic tenet of crime reduction and prevention: police visibility.”
The surge in crime in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park last year stemmed from a string of 10 violent robbery attacks during a five-week span late in 2006 that left one person dead and another person in a coma.
The Councilmembers called on the mayor to prioritize funding for a centrally located facility for New York Police Department (NYPD) officers and Park Enforcement Patrol (PEP) units that would work with the police precincts in the communities surrounding the park. They also cited the model already in effect in Central Park where there is one precinct whose sole responsibility is to patrol the park.
“It is unfortunate that it takes heinous crimes to get the necessary publicity to put pressure on this issue,” said Queens Borough President Helen Marshall as she testified recently before the City Council. “I believe the time is now to finally give the residents and tourists who use this world-class park the same protection afforded to those who use Central Park.”
However, the mayor’s office seemed less inclined to provide this type of facility, citing zero crimes reported in the park since December 26, 2006 after the arrest of the two individuals responsible for a recent crime spree.
“Parks has also increased Parks Enforcement Patrol to supplement the NYPD officers assigned to the area,” said a statement released by Mayor Bloomberg’s office. “Crime is at an all-time low citywide, including in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park.”