Crime & Safety

The 81st Police Precinct Meets

Crime is down, but home invasions are up

Although overall crime is down 20 percent in the 81st police precinct this month compared to last year at this time (107 incidents versus 134 incidents), there has been an increase in the number of larcenies (phone snatches) and burglaries (home invasions) in the neighborhood, reported Juanita Holmes, Deputy Inspector for the 81st Precinct, last night at the monthly community council meeting.

As is done each month, the deputy inspector opened the meeting by giving a report of the past month's crime activity, new patterns observed, areas of progress-- insight on the state of the neighborhood environment.

Inspector Holmes's Roundup:

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  • “If you are a homeowner, I'm asking that you please allow our crime detectives to come into your house and do a survey of your home,” she said.  A free program the precinct offers called Operation I.D., will send in an inspector to survey a home and then offer an assessment on how to better secure the home and the property in it, including issuing VIN I.D. etches.
  • Be alert and call 911 if you see suspicious activity on the block that could be a burglary in progress, i.e., vans parked out front moving property out of a house when owners are not present. The inspector said, the department caught a group of men with a van stealing property. To mask their identities, the men dressed in yellow neon vests and wore hard hats to give the impression they were doing official construction work.
  • She encouraged the community to call in any known drug sales activities on the block and report it anonymously

Community Feedback:

  • A resident and member of the 600 Block Jefferson Avenue Association publicly acknowledged the precinct for a bust it made last week of a serial thief who had been taking the iron gates from in front of their homes. Someone witnessed it, called the police, the police arrived quickly enough to capture the thief who had a van full of gates. If you have had your gate stolen recently, call the precinct and arrange to see if one of the gates in their possession belong to you: (718) 574-0411.
  • A resident lodged a complaint about an increase in motorcycles parking overnight on sidewalks. The motorcycle owner attempts to avoid being reported by removing the license plate at night, said the resident. But Inspector Holmes said that all motorcycles are VIN etched, and can still be issued a summons from that VIN number, if reported.
  • A resident complained that police cars have routinely been parking in the streets and across sidewalks in a way that makes it hard for pedestrians to walk. The Inspector said she would make a note of it.
  • The community wide problem of “no snitching” was raised and discussed for a lengthy period. It is a problem that has become ingrained in the culture of the community, where children and adults are encouraged not to tell on each other to the police. This pernicious practice has meant that tens of thousands of crimes go unsolved-- doing more harm to the community than anything else. The police acknowledged that at its core is the adversarial relationship that the community still holds with the police and that they will begin to broach discussions on a higher level with the commissioner’s office about the best ways to begin challenging this notion that to snitch is worst than to report a crime, starting with public service announcements and other programs targeted at children. To that end, one woman stood up, raised her hand and said, “My name is Lira Potts, I live on Halsey Street, and I’m here to say that I snitch. My frustration has overtaken my fear. If that means you need to take my life, then take my life. But I’m going to snitch. If you’re doing something you’re not supposed to be doing on my block or even five blocks away from me, I don’t care, I’m gonna tell you, I’m gonna tell you and I’m gonna tell on you. Why is it that we can take our block association money and throw a block party, but we can’t do anything constructive? I’m gonna say it again, take my name down, my name is Lira Potts, and I’m a snitch!”
  • Miss Potts also raised the issue of how more members of the community need to begin attending the precinct meetings. “We’re doing all this talking about what needs to happen and what needs to get done, but none of the people that need to hear what we are saying are even here,” she said.
  • A resident raised an issue he felt should be of great concern to everybody regarding the “YG’s” (young gang members) and the “OG’s” (old gang members). “You need to know what your kids are doing and pay close attention. Old gang bangers are being let out of prison; they’re coming home and are confronting these new smaller gang members who don’t respect them in the streets. I’m just saying, there’s going to be blood spilled in the next few months, if we don’t pay attention to what’s going on.” The Inspector did not respond.

Council President Catherine Arline’s Roundup:

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  • If you plan to allow your kids to trick-or-treat this Halloween, please make sure they are accompanied by an adult
  • The Community Affairs Bureau outreach program will be registering bikes this month. You can go to Central Park, Prospect Park or your local precinct to get registered
  • Beginning this month on October 17 and continuing through May 4, 2012, the precinct will be running afterschool “Impact Centers” for teens to come do homework, and other constructive activities. For more information, contact the precinct, (718) 574-0411.
  • A representative from the council reminded everyone to please buy tickets for the annual fundraiser dinner/dance event on October 21 at Lorraine’s Place, 5 Howard Avenue, from 9:00pm – 2:00am. Tickets are $55. The proceeds from the event go to fund the children’s summer camp. “We are planning to have fun – a good time. Please come. All you have to do is come, put on some good shoes and shake a leg. And if you cannot attend, please give us a donation.” For more information, contact Arline at 718-443-4109.


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