107th Precinct gives holiday safety tips

Members of the 107th Precinct are urging residents to take extra precautions to remain safe during the holiday season.
The 107th Precinct has been distributing flyers in the community with tips directing citizens on what precautionary measures to use while driving, using public transportation, collecting money from the ATM or just walking on the street.
Some of the tips include parking in well-lighted areas; closing all windows and locking all doors; activating anti-theft devices you have to protect your vehicle; and removing all packages and valuables from your car especially lap top computers, i-Pods and GPS devices.
“There have been incidents of people leaving their belongings in their vehicles and car windows being smashed in,” said Police Officer Newman from the 107th Precinct. “We just want to try and get the word out about public safety to prevent the numerous number of this type of incident.”
One area of focus has been the rise in cars being stolen in the borough. So far this year, 3,037 cars have been stolen, an increase of 9.2 percent since last year, according to NYPD Compstat figures released November 9. The Queens stats, which are the highest in the city, represent 34 percent of the total number of vehicles stolen citywide.
In addition, the 107th Precinct also shared some tips on preventing robberies in the community which include being alert, notifying the police immediately if there is a suspicious person loitering in the area and avoiding heroics – especially if a firearm is involved. The Precinct urged community members to cooperate completely with criminals and keep the encounters as brief as possible.