Captain Donald Powers (Photo: NYPD)
Oct. 30, 2010 By Christian Murray
Captain Donald Powers, the head of the 108th Police Precinct, reported at Tuesday night’s precinct meeting that the number of reported crimes dropped 22.5 percent for the 28 days ending Oct. 24, compared to the same 28-day period in 2009.
Powers said that crime was up 1.7% for the year so far—compared to the same period in 2009. One month ago, before this recent decline, crime was on track to be up more than 5% this year.
“We had a rough summer and it has really come down,” Powers, who joined the precinct in June, said. “This month we have had great success; we are targeting the right people. At the [Police Precinct] 108, the police know who all the bad guys are out there.”
While the 108th precinct covers Woodside, Sunnyside and Long Island City, the police and attendees addressed several incidents pertaining to the greater Sunnyside area, such as two men who were arrested for stealing coins out of parking meters, problematic fast-food deliverymen—to an attempted abduction of a 20-year-old female on Oct. 26 on 40th Street and 50th Ave.
The police arrested two men on Greenpoint Ave and 43rd Street for stealing coins out of a number of parking meters. The men had a copy of a master key and were combing the streets emptying out quarters meter to meter. This had been an ongoing problem throughout the neighborhood and the police are hopeful that these arrests will put it to an end.
The police went into detail about the 20-year woman who was almost abducted while walking to the subway last Tuesday. A Hispanic man pulled up in a white pickup and tried to pull her into his vehicle at about 7:30 am on 40th Street and 50th Ave; however, she was saved by an older man who heard her screams. The police said the man was a stranger to the woman, and said they would try and put out a sketch of the perpetrator. The sketch had not been released by Thursday afternoon.
There were several attendees who voiced their displeasure about cyclist in the neighbourhood. They claimed that most do not obey road rules (claiming that they ride on sidewalks, or run red traffic lights) and that the problem is getting worse. Today, some said, take-out delivery people ride on scooters and other motorised bikes on the sidewalks —or against the traffic on one-way streets.
The police reported the following crime numbers for the entire precinct for the 28 day period ending Oct. 24: there were no murders (compared to 1 for the same 28-day period ending Oct. 24, 2009); 1 rape (up from zero for the same 28-day period last year); 9 robberies (down from 14 for the same period last year); 7 felony assaults (down from 14 last year); 13 burglaries (down from 19 last year); 40 grand larcenies (down from 42), and 13 grand larceny autos (down from 17).
