Robberies have Howard Beach on alert

Raina, who declined to give her last name, said that she is worried after hearing about the rash of recent burglaries in Howard Beach.
The 15-year resident, who has a four-month-old baby, told The Queens Courier, “I’m going to have to start locking my doors. It used to be a safe neighborhood.”
According to 106th Precinct Commanding Officer, Captain Joseph G. Courtesis, there have been 10 burglaries in the area since December.
“We have dumped the kitchen sink into Howard Beach to try and find these guys. I think we might have stumbled across some success over there and hopefully we can put the nail in the coffin in that pattern.”
At last week’s Precinct Council meeting, Courtesis explained what police know about the incidents so far.
The burglaries are occurring in a small area bordered by 157th and 160th Avenues and 82nd and 88th Streets.
Cops believe the suspects to be two males who gain access to unoccupied residential locations from rear or back entrances between the hours of 4 and 8 p.m.
On one occasion, someone was home, and the burglars ran off.
Courtesis said the suspects seem to have been targeting homes with active construction projects in the area. With about six houses undergoing remodeling, many workers are passing through the neighborhood, he explained. He said that he has briefed the owners of all of the construction companies working on these properties and is urging them to be conscientious.
In addition, the 106th Precinct has been distributing flyers warning homeowners to be vigilant.
Nina DeBlasio, Vice President of the Howard Beach Civic Forum, welcomes the increased awareness.
“People in the neighborhood are sharing information with each other; emails are going back and forth,” she said. “They [the police] are doing what they are supposed to be doing. Obviously, the more information that gets out, the more that people are aware. I am very confident with the precinct.”
Officers of the 106th Precinct suggest following these preventative measures to decrease the risk of becoming a victim of burglary: