Felony crime has dropped a whopping 16 percent for the year on the streets of Flatbush, according to the latest police statistics.
The major crime categories include murder, rape, robbery, felony assault, burglary, grand larceny and auto theft.
Of these,rape and robbery have decreased the most for the year.
Rape is down about 64 percent with only eight reported incidents as compared to 22 at this time last year.
Robbery is down 23 percent with 237 incidents reported in 2009 as compared to 310 at this time last year.
“Last year there were more youth-on-youth robberies and youth crime is decreasing,” said Inspector Ralph Monteforte, commanding officer of the 70th Precinct.
Monteforte credited this decrease to several programs in the precinct, including youth officers conducting 40 to 50 home visits every month to families with at-risk kids.
Sometimes these visits are a result of violent arrests and gun charges, but other times it can be for small things like truancy, he said.
Monteforte said sometimes the officers pay home visits on the advice of clergy or family members.
The precinct also takes trips with about 25 kids to the Arthur Kill Correctional Facility in Staten Island as part of their “Scared Straight” program, where inmate speak to the kids to let them know that’s not where they want to end up.
Monteforte said the precinct also has an expanding “Explorer Program” for kids as well as regular sporting and mentoring events.
Grand larceny is down almost 17 percent with 437 reported incidents as compared to 526 at this time in 2008.
Reported felony assault is down 15 percent with 187 incidents in 2009 as compared to 220 at this time last year.
Monteforte said that of these felony assaults, about 40 occurred in instances of domestic violence, which is about half or instances that the precinct reported at this time last year.
There have been four murders reported this year as compared to five at this time last year.
Monteforte said arrests have been made in two of the murders and none of them appear to be related.
The only crime category to show an increase is auto theft, which is up eight percent with 121 reported incidents this year as compared to 112 at this time last year.
While crime is down in the precinct, cops have also been very active and there are a few signs that violence might be on the rise.
Shootings are up for the year with 15 reported incidents as compared to 12 at this time last year, although Monteforte pointed out last year the 70th Precinct had the lowest number of shootings on record.
However, police in the precinct have seized 24 guns so far this year — up some 85 percent– compared to the 13 firearms they seized last year at this time.
Precinct personnel have also made over 300 arrests this year for either possession or sale of illegal drugs, Monteforte said.
