Those walking past the corner of Flatbush and Church avenues found themselves gazing up in the sky this weekend as they feasted their eyes on the area’s newest resident – an NYPD “SkyWatch” tower.
The technology, which gives cops a birds-eye view of everything within several blocks of where it’s posted thanks to an assortment of cameras and video surveillance at the crest of the state-of-the-art eagle’s nest, moved into the area late last week, officials said.
Since reaching its new address, not a single crime has taken place in the area, cops from the 70th Precinct said.
But, if you ask Deputy Inspector Ralph Monteforte, the commanding officer of the 70th Precinct, it’s not at Flatbush and Church avenues to quell any crime spikes.
“[Flatbush and Church avenues] is a pretty congested area,” said Monteforte. “The SkyWatch is usually used as a deterrent, but this time, we’re using it as a way to bring part of the precinct out to the community.
“When the people pass they can see the NYPD symbol and know that there are cops there,” he said. “If they have a question, want to report something or even need directions, they know that if they go there, someone will be there to help them.”
The SkyWatch, which is shared by city precincts, is expected to be at the corner until next week, officials said.
While robberies are up by 12 percent as of July 13, overall felony crime in the 70th Precinct has dropped by nearly four percent, statistics show.
