Domestic violence incidents in Canarsie are on the rise, so cops in the 69th Precinct are making defending against it one of its top priorities.
“We are up in felony assaults for the year and our analysis shows that a large percentage of these cases were sparked by domestic violence,” said Deputy Inspector Milt Marmara, the precinct’s commanding officer. “What’s more surprising is that in many of these incidents, this is the first time we’ve heard that something was wrong in the household.”
Domestic violence is a gradual process that usually start small, Marmara explained. Early warning signs include screaming matches, bruises and broken or damaged common property.
“If it’s allowed to flourish, domestic violence could turn into a physical assault,” he said. “But it’s a hard crime to combat unless the victim reports the crime or a neighbor comes forward.”
According to NYPD statistics, the 69th Precinct is seeing a 33-percent increase in assaults as of Oct. 3, from 96 in 2009 to 128 this year.
Marmara could not provide us with specific domestic violence assault cases, but said they were too many to ignore.
The situation is just as grave boroughwide.
In 2009, 19 family-related homicides took place in Brooklyn. Citywide, 61 family-related homicides took place in 2009 with 67 percent of these cases having “no known prior police contact,” city officials said.
In order to bring an end to this spate of violence, Marmara’s ordered his officers to be on the lookout for signs of domestic violence during every interaction they have with the community.
“Every time we go into a home to take a report, even if it’s something unrelated like a lost wallet, we’re looking for signs of domestic violence,” Marmara said. “It could help us prevent something in the future.”
His officers have also begun leafletting violence-prone areas like the Breukelen Houses with fliers outlining domestic violence warning signs.
On Oct. 6, cops handed out reams of flyers on the subject to pedestrians passing the corner of E. 104th Street and Glenwood Road.
In an ironic twist, a bloody assault took place at that corner a few hours before cops arrived to address domestic violence concerns.
Police said that the fight — during which one person was stabbed — was between two men who weren’t related to each other.
Anyone wishing to learn more about preventing domestic violence can contact the precinct at (718) 257-6211.
