The 81st Police Precinct Community Council Meets

The 81st Precinct held its monthly meeting Tuesday night, and Commanding Officer Juanita Holmes was on hand to provide an update on crime activity, observed trends over the past 28 days, as well as new initiatives coming out of the precinct.

Treasurer’s Report: Current balance is $611.89.

Commanding Officer’s Report: “Brooklyn North has a higher crime average than the City as a whole,” said Holmes. “We need the community to work with us and be on watch of suspicious activity and report it immediately.”

• In the past 28-day period, crime is up 14 percent. What appears to be driving up recent crime numbers are grand larcenies, most of them cell phone snatches. Most of these snatches are being committed by young kids. There aren’t a lot of kids doing snatches; most of them are the same kids. The precinct has been able to identify a lot of them and are now beginning to successfully suppress potential incidents.
• Grand larceny auto thefts are up 125 percent. Holmes warns, if you see a tow truck and you know your neighbor’s car to have been working fine, please pay close attention. Many tow truck drivers are stealing cars, most of the time late at night. A majority of the incidents occur around abandoned lots and on streets with low lighting and little activity.
• Residential burglaries also are a problem. Many of the perpetrators are walking right through the front door or invading abandoned houses or lots. They are stealing laptops, electronics, as well as carpal piping and water meters
• For the month, homicides are down 66 percent; rapes are up 200 percent ( three versus one last year at this time); robberies are down 5 percent; arrests are up 13 percent; burglaries are down 4.5 percent; shootings are down 40 percent; total crime is up 14.7 percent.

“Some of these stats seem high because we are fighting against low numbers in the past,” said Holmes. “So any small spike can appear greater as a percentage than what it really is.

“Also, we (the 81st Pct) have turned into a property crime command, versus a violent crime command,” said Holmes. “In a sense this is good news, because it means fewer homicides and more thefts. But thefts are much harder to control or police.

“I’m happy to say that the Impact officers were supposed to move out at the end of March are still with us.”

Community Grievances:

Q: Is there any sort of patrol taking place to catch people who are not cleaning up after their dogs? This is a quality of life issue.

A: (Holmes): We need for residents to call and report this, because it is something that can happen so quickly and inconspicuously that we may not always be able to catch. But we do issue summonses for this. But we need to get a report of where it’s happening and what time, and we can put someone on watch. Also, we have flyers that we are making up that the public can distribute and hang up.

Q: Do you have any numbers for us on marijuana arrests or marijuana sales?

A: I don’t’ have those with me. But those numbers are easily attainable. You can speak to our community affairs officer after the meeting, and he can get that to you tonight, if you would like.

Q: What about urinating in public and open garbage cans? These sort of things can attract rats and mice

A: Again you can report it to us. Also that’s something that the department of environment and sanitation can address

Q: Now that the streets are getting paved, people are driving faster, and it’s becoming a safety issue, especially now that people are biking and skateboarding now down the streets. What can be done about the speeding cars?

A: Call the precinct, because we can assign someone to set up a speed gun

Q: Mopeds are getting out of control, since they are being used more often by fast-food restaurants. They have no regard for motorists or pedestrians

A: This was addressed in the Safe Cycles Program, but we can definitely address it again

Q: You said that there’s been a spike in Grand Larceny Autos. Do you know if there are particular cars that are being targeted?

A: Nissan Maximas and Altimas

The 81st Precinct community council meets on the second Tuesday of each month at 794 Monroe Street at 7:00pm. To contact the precinct to report a crime, suspicious activity or to ask a question, call (718) 574-0411.