Queens’ 105th Precinct has seen a 31% increase in major crimes, according to recent statistics released by the NYPD, and its neighborhood coordination officers are hard at work in reversing the alarming trend.
The precinct serves Queens Village, Cambria Heights, Laurelton, Rosedale, Springfield Gardens, Bellerose, Glen Oaks, New Hyde Park and Floral Park. It’s vast coverage area spans 350 miles of roadway across east and southeast Queens.
According to the NYPD’s crime stats, grand larceny auto crimes have spiked at a startling rate. There have been 175 grand larceny auto incidents in 2022, compared to 106 in 2021, which is a 65% jump.
Det. Christopher Kissane, who joined Officer Matthew Haran at a recent “Build the Block” meeting, said most auto thieves wait for drivers to leave their vehicle unattended and unlocked and simply hop in the vehicle and drive away. Kissane advised drivers to lock their vehicles at all times.
“Turn the car off. Lock your door. Go do your business in the store or whatever and come back,” Kissane said.
Crime stats also show that home burglaries within the confines of the 105th Precinct have increased by 39.6% (141 cases to date in 2022, up from 101 in 2021). Kissane said that in most burglaries, a window or door is left unlocked, giving intruders an opportunity to enter and burglarize the home. He also recommends homeowners install surveillance cameras as a deterrent.
Grand larceny and petit larceny are also on the rice; the precinct’s 461 grand larceny cases are 50.7% more than 2021’s 306 cases, and petit larceny is up 61.3%, according to the NYPD’s crime stats.
A major concern among residents residing within the confines of the 105th Precinct is the presence of illegal marijuana trucks. One resident said smoking marijuana is becoming as common as smoking cigarettes.
Kissane said the precinct’s hands are tied regarding the issue.
“When the former Governor of New York, [Andrew] Cuomo legalized marijuana, he just legalized it; he put no laws into effect — no way to sell it, no way to grow it, no age limit, nothing,” Kissane said. “There’s just chaos.”
While crime is on the rise, Kissane said officers in the precinct as working hard to buck the trend.
“The people deserve good police work,” Kissane said.
Additionally, help is on the way.
In September 2021, community members joined former Mayor Bill de Blasio for a groundbreaking ceremony on the long-awaited 116th Precinct and community center in Rosedale. The new precinct will serve the neighborhoods of Rosedale, Springfield Gardens, Brookville, Laurelton and the southern portion of Cambria Heights.
The project was approved by Community Board 13 in October 2018 and, at a topping-off ceremony in August 2022, it was announced that the precinct is expected to open in 2024.
When it opens in 2024, the 116th Precinct will cut into the 105th Precinct’s coverage area, which should help improve crime fighting in the area.
