By Jeremy Walsh
Diane Ballek, president of the 108th Precinct Community Council, said the biggest change in 2007 was a drop in a specific kind of robbery.Many seniors in the area avoid direct deposit and cash checks in person, she said. “There are people that actually sit in the bank, and they watch the seniors cash the checks. At one time they were following seniors left and right, and they were robbing them. I don't think that's going on (anymore), because I didn't get any reports of that this year.”The seven major crime categories police track are murder, rape, robbery, felony assault, burglary, grand larceny and grand larceny auto.There was only one reported homicide in the precinct in 2007, down from two in 2006.On Jan. 23, 2007, police discovered 21-year-old Sunnyside resident Gabriella Alcivir dead in her 49th Street apartment. She had been shot once in the head. A 30-year-old man who police believe was her boyfriend was also discovered dead in the apartment with a shot to the head and police recovered a .22 caliber pistol from the room.Police believe the incident was a murder-suicide.Rapes and robberies both showed an upswing in 2007. There were 15 reported rapes in 2007, up 36 percent from the 11 reported in 2006. Last year there were 205 robberies, a 15 percent increase from the 178 reported in 2006.Felony assaults were down 7.5 percent, however, with 131 in 2007 compared to 158 the prior year. Burglaries dropped 15.5 percent, with 332 in 2007 compared to 393 in 2006.Grand larcenies fell 3.5 percent, to 490 in 2007 from 502 the previous year. Grand larceny auto was also on the decline, down 15 percent in 2007 to 266, compared to 314 in 2006.Citywide, major crimes were down 6.3 percent, with 479 murders, close to a 40-year low.Reach reporter Jeremy Walsh by e-mail at jwalsh@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 154.
