By Stephen Witt
The commanding officer of the 67th Precinct recently singled out two brave cops who tracked down a Christmas morning perpetrator minutes after he pumped four bullets into a nightclub bouncer. It’s hard working cops like Police Officers Devin Long and Ashland Menelas that are at the forefront of why violent crime fell more than eight percent last year, said Deputy Inspector William Aubry. Aubry said the incident unfolded at about 4:15 a.m., December 25, when a man tried to enter the Tropical Reflections nightclub at 4501 Glenwood Road. The security guard at the door told the alleged shooter that the club was closing. The perpetrator went to his car, got a gun and shot the security guard four times and then fled, said Aubry. Aubry said that, fortunately, Long and Menelas were on patrol nearby. After hearing the shots, they chased down the perpetrator, made the collar and recovered a silver .45-caliber Colt semi-automatic pistol, he said. Arrested in the incident was Kinston Dubarry, 31, of 55 Linden Boulevard. He had two prior arrests in 2007, according to police. The security guard is expected to make a full recovery, police said. Aubry said the precinct also received more good news. The stationhouse is getting an additional 75 officers fresh out of the recent Police Academy graduating class. The 75 cops are part of Brooklyn Patrol South’s instant response team that acts something like impact zone officers assigned to flood high crime areas. While these officers will respond to areas throughout Brooklyn South, they will start out at the 67th Precinct and be available in this area at least through the month of January, Aubry said. Aubry said that while the precinct does not have an impact zone, several areas in the precinct will see extra cops on the street including Church Avenue in the East 50s and along Utica, Clarkson and Remsen avenues. Aubry also reported that violent crime is continuing its downward spiral from last year. As of January 13, crime had plummeted nearly 19 percent and there have been no shootings and no murders thus far this year. In 2007, there were 93 shootings, 239 gun arrests and 19 murders reported. Aubry said that every season brings its crime trends. In the winter, the precinct historically sees more armed robberies in commercial locations where perpetrators go in with jackets and hoods, he said.
