The 102nd Precinct has seen a decrease in crimes this year, but robberies remain a problem, the precinct’s commander said during Tuesday’s 102nd Precinct Community Council meeting at the Richmond Hill library.
“The precinct is actually doing well right now,” Deputy Inspector Deodat Urprasad said. “For the week-to-date we are down 26 percent in crime. [In the] 28-day [period], we are down 10 percent in crime. Crime-wise we are doing well. We had some issues. Once again, we still have the same issues with robberies.”
The precinct has made a concerted effort to focus on robberies, and it has yielded results. Year-to-date, the 102nd Precinct is up almost 24 percent in robbery arrests, according to Urprasad.
One recent arrest the precinct made was on a 17-year-old male who was committing strong-arm robberies in multiple locations: Jamaica Avenue, Woodhaven Boulevard and 89th Avenue. In all, the individual committed three robberies on three different days.
With the holidays coming up, Urprasad advised residents to stay safe and be aware that attempted robberies could increase.
“This is holiday season and throughout the city we are going to face the problem of robberies,” Urprasad warned.
The 102nd Precinct also awarded its Cop of the Month at the meeting, honoring P.O. Louis Soto for recovering a firearm during a routine traffic stop.
“Officer Soto made a car stop where we were able to recover a sawed-off, stolen shotgun,” Urprasad said. “These were dangerous individuals.”
Soto received a plaque donated by the Times Newsweekly for his efforts.
