Commander: 104th Pulls Even For New Year
After starting the year off with a slight increase in crime, felonies had dropped around the 104th Precinct in recent weeks, the force’s commanding officers reported during a joint meeting of the 104th Precinct Community Council and the Middle Village Property Owners/Residents Association (MVPORA) last Monday, Feb. 11, at St. Margaret Parish Hall.
Capt. Christopher Manson told residents that reported crimes plummeted by 44.8 percent in the previous week, with a substantial decrease occurring before the snowstorm that struck the area on Feb. 8. Sixteen major crimes took place around the command during the week that concluded on Feb. 10, down from 29 at the same time in 2012.
Over the previous four weeks, the 104th Precinct was “even” in felonies as compared to the same period in 2012, Manson said, with approxi- mately 116 crimes reported to the command. Robberies dropped, but felony assaults and burglaries were higher for the period.
Break-ins particularly spiked during the first month of 2013, but the captain told residents that the precinct was “catching up,” according to Manson. He pointed to three recent “significant burglary arrests” toward a lower number of break-ins around the precinct’s confines in the last several weeks.
One of the arrests involved a bur- glary suspect initially arrested in the 108th Precinct the previous week for driving while intoxicated, the commander noted. Upon further investigation, however, police linked the perpetrator to several break-ins around the 104th and 108th precincts through genetic evidence which matched the suspect’s DNA.
“He’s going to jail for a long time,” Manson said, adding that the perpetrator has an extensive criminal history including a prior murder conviction.
Auto theft was also down around the 104th Precinct in the previous 28- day period. Manson noted, however, that the command as well as other areas of the city has seen a number of tire and rim thefts.
“These guys are as fast as NASCAR teams,” said the captain, who noted that crews tend to target late-model vehicles parked on residential streets during overnight hours. “Within two minutes, your car is up on cinder blocks.”
Catching these thieves is difficult since there are few witnesses and the stolen rims lack “identifiable features,” according to Manson.
Regarding personnel, the captain told residents that the 104th Precinct’s resources are being shifted around Ridgewood, Glendale, Maspeth and Middle Village. Its mobile command unit, in particular, is being rotated in all four communities to enhance police presence.
A local resident urged police to crack down on trucks travelling illegally along Furmanville Avenue between Dry Harbor Road and Woodhaven Boulevard, which is not part of the city’s truck route network. Manson stated that the precinct would dispatch its traffic officers to the location.
Another attendee commented that he has seen many drivers talking on their cell phones while behind the wheel. The captain stated that cell phone violations have become the top summons issued by the NYPD across the city, and the 104th Precinct is no exception, as officers are issuing “several hundred” tickets for such violations every month.
MVPORA President Salvatore Candela inquired about the investigation into the December 2012 murder of a store clerk in Ridgewood. Manson stated that detectives have a number of “very promising” leads which are being pursued in the case.
Other news
John Perricone, the precinct council president, introduced himself and members of the council’s new board to the crowd. The ranking members of the council include Mario Matos, vice president; Amy Lassell, recording secretary; Tania Broschart, treasurer; and Vincent Perricone, sergeant-at-arms.
The council president stated that the organization would be rotating its meetings around all four communities in the precinct’s confines, and that each session would focus on a law enforcement theme.
Matos noted that the March session would include a talk about identity theft.
As for the MVPORA, Candela stated that a representative of the Sanitation Department will be at the civic group’s March meeting to discuss issues related to trash around the neighborhood.
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The next Middle Village Property Owners/Residents Association meeting is scheduled to take place on Monday, Mar. 11, at 7:30 p.m. at St. Margaret Parish Hall, located on 79th Place south of Juniper Valley Road.
The 104th Precinct Community Council’s next meeting is scheduled to take place on Wednesday night, Mar. 27, at 7:30 p.m. at St. Pancras Pfeifer Hall, located at the corner of Myrtle Avenue and 68th Street in Glendale. For more information, call the Community Affairs Unit at 1-718-386-2431.
