It’s downright un-fare.
A crew of gun-toting cabbie crooks has been connected to eight heists this week as cops uncover a nail-biting robbery spree brewing in East Flatbush.
Cops from the 67th Precinct said that two to three men make up the crew that hails cabs from outside the area and then pulls a gun and rob their driver when they reach East Flatbush. In a few cases, the thieves opt for sheer physical force instead of flashing steel.
Most of the robberies have been clustered around East 35th Street and Farragut Road, officials said.
The thieves usually rob the cabbie of his cash and electronics and run off. In one instance, however, they took the cab driver’s car, according to a bulletin sent out by the 67th Precinct.
None of the robbery victims have been seriously injured.
The robbery spree is being investigated as the 67th Precinct suffers through a 23 percent jump in robberies. Officials said that 64 robberies have been logged with area cops as of February 21. By the same date in 2009, 52 robberies had been investigated. Overall felony crime is up for the year, by just over six percent, according to recently released NYPD CompStat figures.
In the hopes of grabbing the thieves, cops have been circulating a photo of one of the crooks captured on a livery cab camera. Local cab companies have also been alerted to the spree, they said.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is urged to come forward.
Calls can be made to the NYPD CrimeStoppers hotline at (800) 577-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential.
