By Howard Koplowitz
Crime is down nearly 7 percent in the 105th Precinct from 2008-09, according to crime statistics.
The precinct, which stretches from Glen Oaks in the north along the Nassau County border to Laurelton, saw decreases in four of the seven categories of major crime, although murders remained unchanged during that span.
In both 2008 and 2009, there were nine murders in the precinct as of Dec. 27, the latest date that statistics were recorded.
Overall, crime in the 105th fell 6.76 percent between 2008 and 2009. There were 1,848 crimes in the seven major categories — murder, rape, robbery, felony assault, burglary, grand larceny and grand larceny auto — in 2009, compared to 1,982 in 2008.
The precinct’s largest crime drop came in robberies, which saw a 15.6 percent decline. There were 341 robberies in 2009, compared to 404 in 2008.
Every other percentage drop in crime was in the single digits. Burglaries fell 9 percent in the precinct from 2008-09. There were 424 burglaries in 2009, compared to 466 in 2008. Grand larcenies were down 5.7 percent from 2008-09. There were 461 grand larcenies in 2009 and 489 in 2008.
In two of the seven major crime categories, the 105th Precinct recorded increases. Rape was up 6.7 percent, or two more rape cases from 2008-09. There were 30 rapes reported in the precinct in 2008 and 32 in 2009.
Stolen cars also saw an increase of 2.9 percent. There were 351 stolen cars in the 105th Precinct in 2009 and 341 in 2008.
The precinct would have shown a slight decrease in the number of stolen cars had it not been for a sharp increase in that category in the last week of the year. For the week covering Dec. 21 through 27, there were 14 cars reported stolen in the precinct, compared to only two for the same week in 2008 — a 600 percent increase.
For the last month of the year, the precinct was up 258.3 percent in stolen car cases. There were 43 stolen cars in the precinct in the last month of 2009, compared to 12 for the last month of 2008 — a 258 percent increase.
The precinct recorded a 5.3 percent drop in felony assaults from 2008-09, according to the statistics. There were 230 felony assault cases in the precinct for 2009 and 243 in 2008.
Reach reporter Howard Koplowitz by e-mail at hkoplowitz@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 173.
