By Phil Corso
Robberies have contributed to a slight uptick in crime in the 111th Precinct over the last several weeks as the officers work to curb a drastic rise in burglaries in Bayside and Auburndale, NYPD crime statistics showed.
According to the most recent numbers for the 111th Precinct, robberies rose from four to 11 over the 28-day period ending Feb. 10 when compared to 2012’s crime statistics. The increase contributed to the precinct’s overall rise in reported crimes for the same time period, from 69 to 72 incidents on file.
When looking at the 2013 year-to-date crime statistics, the overall number of recorded robberies had gone up from four last year to 14 so far this year, the 111th Precinct said, but overall crime numbers were down so far in 2013 when compared to last year by two incidents. The number of robberies has been on the rise since the beginning of the new year, while the number of reported burglaries dropped gradually.
The 111th Precinct covers various neighborhoods throughout northeast Queens, including Bayside, Little Neck, Douglaston and some parts of Auburndale.
Precinct Commanding Officer Jason Huerta said police were working to address the slight increase in robberies and have made some progress, which should put a dent in those numbers. Nonetheless, the rise in robberies has been insignificant when compared to the precinct’s most recent challenge.
Late last year, the 111th Precinct devoted resources to addressing a dramatic rise in burglaries throughout Bayside and Auburndale in which homes were being targeted by criminals who Huerta described as experienced and sophisticated. Unlike robberies, the New York Police Department said burglaries were defined as the unlawful entry to a home or building with no victims present.
According to Huerta, the precinct had arrested several teams that contributed to an increase in burglaries that brought as many as 20 cases in a one-week span at the end of November.
Neighborhoods in both Bayside and Douglaston were also some of the primary targets during the burglary spree, Huerta said, because of the area’s abundance of wealthy homes. Most of the incidents, he said, occurred at homes between Northern Boulevard and the Long Island Expressway — most likely because criminals found it an easy location to flee from on major roads.
This year to date, the 111th Precinct recorded 27 burglaries, one less than last year’s number of 28.
But beyond burglaries and robberies, the precinct’s most recorded crimes were grand larcenies, statistics showed, with 42 incidents to date compared to 49 last year. The only other category to increase to date when compared to last year has been felony assaults, with seven incidents reported this year compared to five in 2012.
Reach reporter Phil Corso by e-mail at pcorso@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4573.
