While one DUMBO burglar was recently arrested, another has filled his criminal void, targeting the same commercial building as his predecessor.
The thief has hit 55 Washington Street six times in the past few weeks, and the top cop at the 84th Precinct said he is determined to end the spree.
Captain Mark DiPaolo, the commanding officer of the precinct, said he has been in contact with building owner Two Trees Management to “get their security up to snuff.” He said his cops will have access to the building, and will patrol inside.
The building houses offices and art studios. “This is the kind of building that’s open constantly,” DiPaolo said. “Somehow this individual is gaining access.”
At the 84th Precinct Community Council’s June 16 meeting, two cops were honored for nabbing a man alleged to have been responsible for an earlier wave of burglaries at 55 Washington.
The new thief, the top cop said, is most comfortable plying his trade over the weekend. In one instance, the thief used a knife to carve through a wall and took property once inside.
“Take note of who doesn’t look right,” DiPaolo added. “Everything we achieve, we achieve with the help of the community.”
Overall crime continues to decline in the precinct, which encompasses Brooklyn Heights, Boerum Hill, Vinegar Hill and DUMBO. The precinct has seen a 20 percent decline in crime so far this year, and a 33 percent drop from 2007.
Compared to 2008, most major crime categories are declining, the police data reveals. As of June 21, burglaries are down 1.9 percent; robberies fell 35.2 percent; assaults dropped 11.1 percent; car thefts fell 7.4 percent; and grand larcenies are down 22.1, police statistics show.
There have been no murders reported, and two rapes, compared to none last year, according to the data.
