Crime stats in Flatbush and Midwood have done a turn-around.
Entering the summer with crime up about three percent for the year, the 70th Precinct ended it, according to Deputy Inspector Ralph Monteforte, the precinct’s commanding officer, with crime down approximately six percent, well ahead of the city average drop of three percent.
“We had an incredible summer in the 70th Precinct,” Monteforte told members of Community Board 14, gathered at Edward R. Murrow High School, East 17th Street and Avenue L, for the board’s September meeting. “We’re down about 100 major crimes for the year.”
Shootings also are down, said Monteforte. “We had four shootings this summer,” he told board members. This compares favorably to previous summers, Monteforte added. Over the past 10 years, he later said, “there never have been less or even the same amount of shootings from Memorial Day to Labor Day.” Overall, there have been 12 shootings in the 70th Precinct in 2008.
Of the seven major crime categories, as of September 7th, the largest drop was in felonious assault, where the precinct has recorded a 30.6 percent drop, year to date, compared with 2007. There have been 240 felonious assaults so far this year, compared with 346 at this point last year.
There’s also been a sharp drop in burglaries, which are down 21 percent for the year, with 266 year to date, compared with 337 at this point in 2007.
There has been an increase in rapes. So far, this year, there have been 24, compared with 20 at this point in 2007, for a 20 percent rise. Also up are robberies, with 352 so far this year, compared with 308 at this point last year, for an increase of 14.2 percent. Grand larcenies are also up, with 569 so far this year, compared to 546 at this time last year, for an increase of 4.2 percent year to date.
Murder and Grand Larceny Auto are flat, so far, in 2008. There have been five murders in the precinct so far this year, the same number as at this point in 2007. There have been 132 GLAs so far in 2008, the same amount as last year at this time.
“For us to have a nine percent swing in a matter of months means the cops are focusing and getting the job done,” Monteforte said in a subsequent interview.
Gun arrests are also up, Monteforte noted. This, he said, is a result of, “The detective squad making collars of outstanding perps for shootings,” as well as the efforts of the narcotics bureau and the NYPD’s gang division.
