Crime Drop Continues For Sheepshead Bay Station House

Crime is down in almost every major felony in Sheepshead Bay’s 61st Precinct for 2016, according to annual crime statistics released by the NYPD.

In the seven major crimes — murder, rape, robbery, felony assault, burglary, grand larceny, grand larceny auto — the precinct’s crime rate plummeted 21.5 percent in 2016, compared to just 4.8 percent for the entire city. When looking at the data over two years, that drop exceeded 30 percent.

“Problems always move,” said Deputy Inspector Winston Faison, who sends teams out to tackle specific issues like robberies on Kings Highway or quality of life issues on Emmons Avenue after the party boats dump passengers back onto shore.

The precinct has seen a surge in traffic fatalities, which we discussed last week with Captain Hagestad.

The most dramatic drop from 2015 was the 60 percent drop in murder rates, but the number of reported rapes barely changed from 12 cases in 2015 to 11 cases in 2016 — an 8.3 percent drop. Most of the rapes the precinct sees are domestic, or the victim knows the perpetrator, said Faison.

The exception to this rule is felony assaults, which rose in 2016 by .5 percent. Felony assaults are a generalized category, said Faison. “A lot of times they’re family cases that don’t involve stabbing or shooting but domestic fights,” he said.

When you zoom in on the weekly data, problem areas can be spotted on a more local level. For example, in the last week of January there was a spike in Grand Larcenies, according to recent crime statistics. A lot of those crimes translate to identity theft, said Faison, with scams ranging from fraudulent IRS demands to fake checks. “If it’s too good to be true, it probably is,” he said.

See where incidents of Grand Larceny occurred in the precinct over the past 28 days:

Cops in the precinct have been working hard to achieve these crime drops, which have been adding up in the past year. Faison attributes their recent success to focused efforts and community involvement.

“We’re looking at trends and patterns to stop criminals,” said the Deputy Inspector, which includes investigatory work like following people who’ve recently been let out of jail. “You have to know where you’re looking, who you’re looking for. It’s more focused than just going out there to patrol and hope to find someone,” he said.

In terms of community relations with the police, Faison has some helpful advice. “This is what I tell my family,” he said. “Whenever you see a cop in the street, no matter what, you have to say hello.”

Although crime statistics have dropped, cops in the 61st precinct are especially busy with radio runs, he said. And when victims take out their frustration on officers, it is demoralizing for patrol officers.

Want to learn more about crime and policing in the 61st Precinct? Or do you have your own questions for the officers? Let your voice be heard at the next Community Council Meeting on March 8 at 7:30pm, at 2533 Coney Island Avenue near Avenue W.