104th Commander Talks Recent Robbery Rash At M.V. Meet
Before enjoying some holiday festivities during its meeting last Tuesday, Dec. 16, in Middle Village, the 104th Precinct Community Council and police officials talked about a recent bank robbery rash in the area.
Capt. Christopher Manson, the force’s commanding officer, reported an overall decrease in crime for the year, but noted that the area was hit with as many as six bank robberies in the last several weeks.
“These always tend to spike this time of year,” he said.
Most of the incidents- including the Dec. 6 heist at a Chase bank on Myrtle Avenue in Ridgewood and a Dec. 9 robbery at a Capital One branch on Forest Avenue, also in Ridgewood- involved a perpetrator who passed a demand note to a teller. Manson cited these incidents as the most common type of bank robberies that occur citywide.
But in the Dec. 9 heist at a Chase bank on Eliot Avenue in Middle Village, law enforcement sources said, the suspect passed a demand note and displayed a weapon. That case is under investigation by both the NYPD Major Case Squad and the FBI’s New York office.
In response to the recent heists, Manson said, patrols were increased around the command. He and other members of the precinct also visited local branches to discuss with bank employees various security measures and responses to robbery attempts.
“We will continue to hit the banks over the next several weeks,” he said. “The bad guys do the same kind of crime. Eventually, they’ll get caught.”
Inspector Michael Cassidy of the NYPD Internal Affairs Bureau, a guest at the meeting, echoed those sentiments, noting that bank robbers tend to hit multiple locations at a time-and ultimately get caught through directed patrols in response to previous robberies.
Along with bank robberies, Manson noted, local financial institutions have also experienced increased identity theft and bank fraud. He noted that one bank branch had reported numerous instances of crooks attempting to use stolen identification to open bank accounts.
The captain urged members of the public to beware, in particular, of skimming devices attached to ATMs designed to pick up a person’s PIN and account information. Before swiping a debit card into an ATM, he suggested gently pulling on the slot to make sure it is secure; a skimmer will easily fall off.
Additionally, persons should hold a free hand over an ATM keypad while typing in their PIN.
Cassidy and Manson noted the crooks involved in identity theft do not necessarily seek to use a person’s information right away, as the data is often collected and sold to criminals elsewhere to perpetrate fraud.
“They’ll collect a lot of information, but they won’t use it until several months after [the theft] because they (law enforcement agents) can’t pinpoint the point of contact,” Cassidy said.
“There’s a massive network of fraud out there,” Manson added. “If you go to the bank, be smart about it.”
Cop of the Month
P.O. Filip Glowa of the 104th Precinct Detective Squad received the Cop of the Month award for arresting a suspect in a recent series of burglaries around Maspeth.
As reported in last week’s Times Newsweekly, Glowa booked 17-year-old Joshua Guevara for allegedly carrying out four burglary attempts in the area. Manson stated Glowa used video camera footage near the crime scenes and information that witnesses provided to track Guevara down.
Manson and Mario Matos, the precinct council president, presented Glowa with a plaque donated by the Times Newsweekly for his efforts.
Other news
Manson stated a recent Christmas event held at the precinct’s Ridgewood stationhouse was a big success. More than 300 people came out to the Catalpa Avenue headquarters on Dec. 13 to enjoy refreshments, pictures with Santa Claus and a petting zoo, all of which were paid for by officers and donations from community groups.
“It’s one of those things you want to do with the community,” he said. “We don’t just lock up people or give summonses to people. You want the little kids to see police in a different manner. To see a 12- or a 13- year-old kid standing their laughing and joking around with an officer, it’s a different world, and it makes a difference in a lot of people’s minds.”
The captain said the precinct would look to hold another community event in spring 2015.
Corresponding Secretary Len Santoro announced the precinct council is organizing a selfdefense class scheduled to take place in January. Further details will be published as they are made available.
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The next 104th Precinct Community Council meeting is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, Jan. 20, at 7:30 p.m. at a location to be announced. For more information, call the 104th Precinct Community Affairs Unit at 1-718-386-2431.
