Felony Crimes Down And Arrests Up In The 66th Precinct

The NYPD’s 66th Precinct monthly Community Council met last Thursday, June 16, at the Community Board 12 offices on 13th Avenue, to review crime statistics and honor precinct officers for exceptional work.

Keeping An Eye on Grand Larceny and Check Forging

With regards to crime, Precinct Commander Captain Kenneth Quick announced an overall drop in crime by 13 percent over the past 28-day period, compared to same period last year. The precinct has increased arrests by 5 percent in this same period, or 13 percent for the year overall, said Captain Quick.

Despite the overall crime drop in 6 major categories, grand larceny increased by 18.9 percent as measured by CompStat. Captain Quick said the precinct is also hoping to reduce the felonious assault numbers by the end of 2016.

Captain Quick also announced an increased incidence of check forging, with the thieves wiping out 90 percent of the money in people’s bank accounts.

Cops of the Month

Officer Sam Nazario from the Anticrime night team was awarded the Cop of the Month plaque for May. Nazario arrested four suspects from a six-member gang, who he first encountered  attacking a man on Eighth Avenue.

Officer Chris Li of the Conditions Unit received the Cop of the Month award for June. Li caught a grand larceny crime pattern which included over a dozen incidents in the 66th and 70th precincts.

On June 2, Li and his team stopped suspects in connection with a series of cell phone thefts around Church Avenue and E. 7th Street. The 70th Precinct stopped two suspects, and Officer Li and his team closed five cases surrounding this crime.

Community Policing and Electric Bikes

Police Commissioner Bill Bratton has rolled out a new model of community policing in the nearby 70th and 72nd precincts, assigning more cops to sector patrol and beats. For the moment, however, the 66th precinct has not been affected by the push toward community policing.

The subject then turned toward bikes, and it was noted that the precinct seized eight dangerous and illegal electric bicycles. Motorized bikes are not allowed on sidewalks.

Bike summons are up 280 percent year to date. The precinct is issuing summons to bikes going through red lights. “That’s what’s included in bike enforcement,”  Quick said.

But enforcement for motor vehicle “failure to yield” and “speeding” is only up 34 percent for the year.  Some argue, like Paul Steely White, the executive director of Transportation Alternatives, the NYPD’s focus on bike infractions is misplaced. According to White, it is speeding drivers that kill cyclists and pedestrians, yet in 2015 tickets to drivers in one precinct dropped 15 percent, and injuries to cyclists increased 13 percent.

Other issues
In answer to a question, Capt. Quick reminded people that the homeless will be out during the summer and have a right to sit on the public benches.  But they are not allowed to lie down. If there’s a problem, he encouraged calling 311.

Stoopline stands:  An Ocean Parkway neighbor complained about a stoopline stand that regularly overflowed its boundaries. Legally the NYC Dept. of Consumer Affairs allows stands that sell fruit, vegetables, and flowers to jut out into the sidewalk for three feet, but they “shall not obstruct the free use of the sidewalk by pedestrians.” Furthermore the law says “A stoopline stand licensee and his or her employees or agents shall not use such stoopline stand or the sidewalk adjacent thereto to wash, trim, bunch or otherwise prepare any fruit, vegetables, flowers or other articles sold or displayed at such stoopline stand.” After a discussion on who to call to complain, CB 12 district manager Barry Spitzer said to notify Sanitation if the stand has outgrown  its 3-ft limit.

The 66 Precinct will hold its annual National Night Out event on Tuesday, August 2nd from 5 to 8 pm at the precinct, 5822 116th Avenue at 60th Street. Lots of food, fun and rides, so please drop by.

Important Change for 66th Precinct Meetings
The precinct is shifting its monthly meetings to the third Monday evening of the month at 7pm, beginning September 19. The goal is to attract a larger public audience, as evidenced by the small turnout for last Thursday’s meeting, which included only seven people from the public. The other 18 people present were elected officials and their representatives.

The community council meetings for the 66th precinct are held at the Community Board 12 headquarters, at 5910 Thirteenth Avenue, between 59th and 60th Streets, in Borough Park, Tel: (718) 851–0800 or Pct (718) 851–5611.