Elected officials may have gotten high media mileage after a recent rape in Fort Greene, but 2008 year-end statistics reveal that murder and rape plummeted in the trendy brownstone neighborhood.
Conversely, other Brooklyn neighborhoods in this northern region of the borough such as Williamsburg, Park Slope and Brooklyn Heights, have all seen increases in murder.
In the 88th Precinct covering Fort Greene/Clinton Hill last year there were four murders as compared to 10 in 2007.
Overall violent crime also fell over 3 percent in this precinct with 1,092 felony crimes reported in 2008 as compared to 1,134 such crimes reported in 2007.
In the 90th Precinct covering Williamsburg, there were six murders in 2008 compared to three in 2007. The overall crime rate jumped more than 10 percent with 1,875 felony crimes reported.
“There’s more and more talk these days about gangs, and that’s definitely attributable to the increase of murders,” said John Mendez, president of the 90th Precinct Community Council.
Mendez and other neighborhood sources said the explosion of gangs has been primarily confined to the south side of Williamsburg with the reemergence of a gang called the Trinitarios, and the Brooklyn Bad Boys, a Latino chapter of the Bloods.
Mendez said the addition of cops recently deployed to this neighborhood will probably reduce overall violent crime, but may not have an effect on murder.
He noted that while crimes such as burglaries usually can be targeted to trends in one area, said Mendez, murder is unpredictable.
Also seeing increases in murder was the 76th Precinct covering Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill and Red Hook, where there were five murders in 2008 as compared to three in 2007.
In the 78th Precinct covering Park Slope and Windsor Terrace, there were three reported murders last year as compared to one in 2007.
Greenpoint registered one murder in 2008 as compared to none in 2007.
Besides the Fort Greene/Clinton Hill area, the only other Downtown Brooklyn precinct to see a decrease in murder was the 84th Precinct covering Brooklyn Heights, DUMBO and Vinegar Hill.
There was one murder last year in this area as compared to two in 2007.
– with Tom Tracy
