Maspeth/Elmhurst Civic Warns Residents
Scrap metal thieves continue to lurk in Maspeth and Elmhurst, the president of the Communities of Maspeth and Elmhurst Together (COMET) civic group stated at the organization’s Monday, Apr. 2 meeting at the Bethzatha Church of God in Elmhurst.
Rosemarie Daraio warned residents to beware of people on the hunt for scrap metal, claiming that they have been seen taking manhole covers, cutting copper wiring from telephone poles and screwing the caps off fire hydrants.
“I’m sure they’re there for a reason,” she said of the hydrant caps.
She urged residents to call 311 if they see anything missing, and 911 if they see a scrap metal hoarder, as Daraio claimed they may be involved in other criminal activity.
“Everybody’s certain that they’re not just stealing scrap metal,” she warned.
Capt. Terry O’Toole, the 108th Precinct’s executive officer, added that residents should specify if they see any wires dangling from poles, as they are set up in a certain order depending on who the wire belongs to (phone, cable, electric).
108th Precinct
O’Toole announced that the precinct is down in crime about 10 percent for the month and is flat for the year.
“We’re catching up; it’s been all good so far,” he said.
COMET’s part of the precinct experienced one burglary, one felony assault and three grand larcenies, two from vehicles.
In one crime, the perpetrator distracted a passenger in a car while removing valuables from the car’s front seat.
O’Toole also spoke of a local resident who has called 311 a total of 358 times so far this year as of the meeting date, complaining anonymously of a man whose car is parked nearby on Laurel Hill Boulevard.
The person’s car belongs to a nearby resident and is legally parked, registered and insured.
O’Toole added that the caller has been leaving incorrect or phony phone numbers, preventing the precinct from contacting him.
“That’s a waste of my time, my officers’ time, my bosses’ time,” he told COMET.
Having reviewed the case of school buses parking on local streets near 51st Avenue and 72nd Street, O’Toole reported to COMET that the culprit was actually the owner of a local bus repair shop who parks buses on local streets while the shop is open but moves them back into the depot when the shop is closing.
According to O’Toole, this is legal as long as the school buses are moved every three hours.
He added that he had spoken to the shop owner and suggested that he obtain use of a second lot to park the buses rather than parking them on local streets.
As for tour buses and trucks, O’Toole told COMET that the precinct has made 35 truck summonses so far this year.
One resident asked O’Toole whether it was legal for a resident to park across their own driveway. According to the captain, it is legal as long as the car is not blocking the sidewalk.
O’Toole and Capt. John Travaglia, the executive officer of the 104th Precinct, explained that for many traffic issues, the precinct will not investigate unless 911 is called.
“We’re not proactive on traffic issues, we’re reactive,” said Travaglia.
104th Precinct
According to Travaglia, COMET’s part of the precinct experienced one robbery, six burglaries and six larcenies. There was also one rape reported, with the incident occurring back in December 2011.
The robbery, of a local Chase bank branch on Grand Avenue, is “part of a larger pattern.”
“These bank robberies are popping up as a sign of the economic times,” he said, “but these people also know it’s bank policy just to give the money over.”
Of the six burglaries, four were residential, including two that the precinct believes are related.
In those crimes, the precinct is looking for two individuals they believe may be responsible, Travaglia said.
One of the six grand larcenies, he added, involved the loss of two side- view mirrors from a vehicle. O’Toole claimed that the culprit was a recidivist burglar known for stealing the side-view mirrors from cars to sell them on the black market.
“He makes his living getting mirrors from people,” he said, adding that the man was arrested two years ago at the U.S. Open tennis event after stealing over 200 mirrors.
O’Toole claimed he was most recently cuffed in the 115th Precinct six months ago “with 30 to 40 mirrors in his possession.”
Each mirror can fetch $200 from a third party, he told COMET.
Daraio suggested a “court watch” the next time the man was arrested, to ensure a lengthy prison sentence for the thief.
Turning to traffic, Travaglia assured residents that the precinct continues to crack down on trucks running along Flushing Avenue.
“It looks like the Jersey Turnpike,” one resident said. “They’re getting bigger and faster.”
While the precinct will continue to crack down on truck issues, Travaglia added that many of them have changed the timing of their routes to make deliveries early in the morning.
110th Precinct
P.O. Janine Rivera of the 110th Precinct’s Community Affairs Unit told the crowd that the area west of Grand Avenue experienced one grand larceny, one robbery, one auto larceny and one burglary.
The robbery occurred when three men entered a car thinking that it was a livery cab. Informed otherwise by the driver, the trio proceeded to assault and rob the car’s owner of his GPS device and headphones.
One man was detained at the scene by a resident who made a citizen’s arrest.
“We do not condone you stopping people like that,” said Rivera.
East of Grand Avenue, the precinct had one robbery and one grand larceny.
One resident asked the 110th Precinct to police the area near a local bar in the area, claiming that the establishment holds loud music shows on weekends. The resident asked if the bar could install insulation to prevent noise from leaking out into the community.
Daraio and Rivera urged the resident to call 911 next time there is a similar issue.
O’Toole told the resident that the NYPD can send officers to take sound meter readings and look at the area.
“There are things that can be done but it’s not going to be immediate,” the captain told the man.
COMET usually meets on the first Monday of the month at the Bethzatha Church of God, at 85-20 57th Ave. in Elmhurst.
