Photo: QueensPost
March 10, 2012 By Christian Murray
The number of burglaries and robberies continues to rise throughout the 108th police precinct, and Sunnyside and Woodside are not being spared.
Last weekend, there were two break-ins on 47th Street (between Skillman Ave and 39th Ave). In one case, the burglar opened a ground-floor back window, while the family slept upstairs and fled with property, police said. The other incident took place a few doors down the street around the same time.
“We have had a bad 28 days,” said Captain Terry O’Toole, who spoke Thursday night at the United 40s Civic Association, referring to the 108 precinct that covers Sunnyside, Woodside, LIC and parts of Maspeth. There were 30 reported burglaries for the 28 days ending March 4, 2012, up from 15 for the same period in 2011. In addition, there were 16 reported robberies during that same period, up from 6 last year.
In the past 28 days, O’Toole said that burglaries had taken place in other areas in the neighborhood, such as 47th Street (by Queen’s Blvd) and another on 47th Street (by 47th Ave). There was another on 56th Street (by Roosevelt Ave); however, the police caught two teenagers breaking in to that property.
The majority of robberies continue to involve iPods, laptops and cell phones. For example, on Feb. 14 at 5:30 pm, a man held up a pedestrian at gunpoint and took off with a cell phone and cash. The incident came just weeks after a man attempted to hold up GameStop with a gun on Queens Blvd and 48th Street. There have not been any arrests in either of these cases.
O’Toole tried to assure people that this area is one where very few people have guns.
Meanwhile, in recent times, there have been several cases where car owners have had their wheels and rims stolen. At the 108th police precinct meeting on Feb. 28, Captain Donald Powers said that there had been 8 incidents where cars were discovered by their owners without wheels—sitting on blocks.
Two of those incidents took place in Sunnyside Gardens, two in Maspeth and the rest were scattered
Captain Donald Powers (NYPD)
throughout the precinct.
However, of the four, one occurred by Lou Lodati Playground on Skillman and 42nd Street.
Powers said that while the number is high, “it is not be by any means an epidemic.” He said cars are usually targeted in areas such as Bayside and College Point, which it’s a little more secluded.
The police has a borough wide unit that’s sole focus is on auto larceny (which includes stolen auto parts). The unit has yet to find the perpetrators.
In other matters, Capt. Powers said that there was a stabbing in Woodside on Feb. 19—resulting in 3 victims. He said that the incident occurred in the car, while several people were driving together through the neighbourhood. The victims got out of the car near the intersection of 39th Road and 52nd Street upon being injured. None of the parties have cooperated with police.
Meanwhile, the suspect who attempted to rob the Chase bank branch on Queens Blvd (47th Street) on Feb. 14 has yet to be apprehended. He is wanted for bank robberies throughout Queens.
