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Via The Bay News
Recently released crime statistics show that over the past month burglaries in the 61st Precinct jumped by 68 percent. Officials said that in November 2007, residents in Manhattan Beach, Sheepshead Bay, Homecrest and parts of Midwood told police that 25 residential and commercial break-ins occurred in their neighborhoods. This last month, 42 burglaries were reported, officials said.
Most of the burglaries involved apartments or homes, officials said.
Yet, while burglaries are on the rise, the number of robberies in the command, which had grown steadily since the beginning of the year, fell over the last month, by nearly 12 percent.
Police said that 15 robberies took place in the 61st Precinct this past November, two less than the 17 that took place in November 2007.
Officials said that a good portion of those robberies were teen-on-teen thefts and usually involved a cell phone being taken by force.
Jumps in teen-on-teen theft have been seen by many of the NYPD commands surrounding the 61st Precinct, including the 62nd Precinct in Bensonhurst and the 63rd Precinct in Marine Park, officials said.
To combat the situation, Captain George Mastrokostas, the commanding officer of the 61st Precinct, started an initiative to encourage teens to always be aware of their surroundings when they are either using their phones or texting their friends.
Cops are also encouraging residents, particularly teens, to get their iPods and cell phones registered with the NYPD — a move that will make the electronic devices less desirable to thieves.
The plan worked and robberies in October and November began to wane.
Mastrokostas told members of the 61st Precinct Community Council Wednesday that he was re-doubling their efforts to combat burglaries in the neighborhoods under his protection.
He also explained that sometimes the simplest precautions, such as making sure that your windows were not only closed but locked, could go a long way to prevent one from becoming a burglary victim.
The 61st Precinct has seen a nearly six percent rise in burglary this year.
Overall felony crime was also up, by just over seven percent, officials said.
Anyone wishing more tips on how to burglar-proof their home can contact the (718) 627-6611.
Keep your eyes open for a white Chevy Astro van roaming the community. The license plate begins with the letters EGG.
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in what Community????
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Gerritsen, I called the 61 about a week ago to let them know and I haven’t seen the astro back since.
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I thought the white van was the cops pulling people over & frisking them Now the white van is part of burglaries????
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I haven’t seen that Astro either. http://www.gerritsenbeach.net/2008/10/02/beware-mystery-nypd-white-cargo-van-going-around/
Seems like robberies are up everywhere. This economy is making everyone NUTS!
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get rid of the projects they stuck right in the middle of everyone and you’ll see the crime rate drop
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The projects have been there for 40 + years
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Yes the projects have been there for 40+ years, but you forgot to mention that for most of those years the residents were mostly teachers and other employed civil servants. I think it’s safe to say today that while some who live there are hard working, the majority are drug addled, gun toting welfare receiving gangbangers living on the dole of the taxpayers. Believe it or not, this is the fault of the housing authority. when they relocate residents from the ghetto projects to renovate them. the residents do not have to move back to their original apartments when the work is done, thus we are stuck with them. Although i can’t say I blame them for not wanting to go back to the neighborhoods they already ruined.
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100% Correct
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