Don’t Leave Stuff In Your Car! FDC Executive Director Urges Neighbors To Be Cautious After Break-In

After Flatbush Development Corporation Executive Director Robin Redmond’s car was broken into on Newkirk Avenue last week, she praised the 70th Precinct for their quick response – and is urging neighbors to leave nothing visible on their car seats.

Robin told us today that the thief (or thieves) took less than $1,000 worth of property from her car, which was parked just outside the FDC’s office 1616 Newkirk Avenue between 16th and 17th streets, sometime between 3 and 5pm last week – including prescription sunglasses (“good luck with those!” Robin laughed), old phone chargers (they somehow didn’t nab the new iPhone 5 charger sitting out in plain view), and a jacket from her back seat, among other items.

“It reminds me you can’t leave anything visible in your car – it’s a crime of opportunity,” said Robin, who also noted that the 70th precinct was “very responsive” and immediately came to take a report following the incident. Two days later, she said police, including Deputy Inspector Richard DiBlasio, viewed surveillance footage with the hope that an area shop’s camera caught the perpetrators – but, unfortunately, her car was just out of the surveillance shot.

However, while the police were viewing the footage, they received a phone call that two people were breaking into a car just around the corner from the FDC on E. 17th Street, near Newkirk, and the officers apprehended the two individuals.