While crime continues to go down in Canarsie, one problem has begun to rear its head −− kids stealing cell phones from their peers.
“I have a feeling that some of it might be kids trying to get into gangs,” noted Captain Milt Marmara, the commanding officer of the 69th Precinct.
Marmara told members of the Friends United Block Association (FUBA), gathered at Temple Shaare Emeth, 6012 Farragut Road, for their May meeting, to “let the young ones know to be careful with their phones. We’ve made a lot of arrests in the last week and a half, but it’s still happening.”
In particular, Marmara said, the problem is occurring in areas with high rates of pedestrian traffic, near the Rockaway Parkway L train station and near Intermediate School 68.”
Despite the thefts, the precinct is down in six out of seven major crime categories, and is down overall 18.39 percent year to date. Murder is down 100 percent, with none so far in 2009, compared to one at this point in 2008. Felonious assault is down 56.1 percent, with 18 so far this year compared with 41 at this point last year. Incidents of Grand Larceny Auto are down 14.5 percent, with 47 year to date, compared to 55 at this point in 2008. Grand larcenies and robberies are both down 14.3 percent: There have been 102 grand larcenies so far this year, compare to 119 at this time, last year, and 66 robberies so far in 2009, compared to 77 at this point in 2008. Burglaries are down 9.8 percent year to date, with 46 so far in 2009, compared to 51 at this time last year.
The one category that has gone up is rape. There have been five so far in 2009, compared with four at this time last year, for an increase of 25 percent.
The police are also trying to stem the tide of loud summer parties, before they get into gear, said Marmara. “If there are any chronic problems, let us know,” he urged his listeners. “We are going to nip it in the bud.”
Marmara said that the precinct would “seize DJ’s equipment” if complaints come in about recurring problems. “We’re not talking about parties that happen once in a while,” he stressed.
