Violent Crime Down But Issues Remain
The 83rd Precinct’s commanding officer gave Bushwick residents an overview of the positives and negatives of what he called a “tough year” in the command at the 83rd Precinct Community Council’s Tuesday, Jan. 15 meeting in Bushwick.
In 2012, the precinct was up 10.9 percent in total index crime, according to Deputy Inspector Anthony Tasso, with auto thefts and grand larcenies -properties crimes-largely accounting for the rise.
However, the precinct had a significant drop in violent crime, with seven murders-Bushwick’s secondbest year on record-and only 27 injuries from gunfire, the lowest ever in the command.
While Tasso stressed that the seven homicides are “seven too many,” he added that the precinct is “continuing to make strides.”
Tasso pointed to the December bust of a local street gang that operated on the northern end of the precinct. The case, which two officers had been investigating since last February, resulted in the arrest of 41 individuals, most between 15 and 22 years old.
Tasso noted that they were responsible for drug dealing and gun violence in the area, even near local schools.
“This was a big deal for the precinct,” Tasso noted.
Looking toward the future, Tasso noted that the area’s IMPACT zone, which includes 48 officers on foot patrols, has been moved across the precinct “To keep the bad guys honest.”
To make up for the move, the precinct will be receiving patrol cops who will work overtime on Bushwick streets and 11 officers who have previously been assigned to the IMPACT zone will now become fullfledged members of the 83rd Precinct.
“We’re better than we were two weeks ago,” the commander would later state.
“Starting fresh in 2013, we have some initiatives we’re going to be looking at,” Tasso noted.
District Leader Maritza Davila asked if the new officers receive any sensitivity training before heading out onto the streets.
“These are young guys, they are new … sometimes they come into culture shock, thinking that everyone is not a good person,” she stated.
Tasso noted that of the 48 officers in the IMPACT zone, 22 are brandnew; the remainder have been in the area since July.
All officers, including the new patrolmen, are required to go through an NYPD-issued training program focusing on community interaction.
In addition, Tasso offered any community leader the ability to come up and address officers.
“We need the community in order to be successful,” he assured Davila.
P.O. Christopher Iannotti of the precinct’s Crime Prevention Unit reminded residents that programs are available for residents to arm themselves against property thefts.
He noted that the precinct’s operation ID, which lets residents register their valuables with the precinct, has been overhauled.
Instead of keeping a ledger within the precinct, there is now a citywide searchable database of registered property.
The registration uses the devices’ serial numbers instead of the special precinct-issued ID numbers; Iannotti recommended that residents who had previously registered electronic devices re-register those items.
