Only a relatively small percentage of the crime committed in the 63rd Precinct takes place in Marine Park.
Indeed, of the 367 felony crimes committed in the precinct from the beginning of the year until the day of the meeting, just 46 were committed within the sector that includes the neighborhood, said Sergeant Christine Bastedenbeck, a community affairs officer with the precinct, during the April meeting of the Marine Park Civic Association (MPCA).
“You make up a small minority of the crimes that are being reported,” Bastedenbeck told the group gathered at Public School 207, 4011 Fillmore Avenue.
In the 28 days leading up to the meeting, there were three assaults within the sector of the precinct containing the neighborhood of Marine Park, Bastedenbeck said, noting that an arrest had already been made on one. There had also been one robbery, and an arrest had been made in that case as well, she told the group.
In addition, Basteden−beck said, there had been seven grand larcenies in the area, two of which were ID thefts. Of the remainder, “The bulk of them were grand larcenies from autos,” in which cars were broken into and valuables taken.
In many cases, Bastedenbeck said, this occurs when the vehicle’s owner leaves a desirable item −− a laptop computer, a wallet, or a pocketbook, for example −− open to view. “Try not to leave those things in the car,” she advised her listeners. “If you are going to leave something in the car, try to keep it not in view.”
The park is a “relatively safe place to be,” Bastedenbeck said, in answer to a question from someone in the audience. “We have officers assigned to the park, and supervisors go out and ride around,” she added.
Basteden−beck advised the crowd to be conscious of their surroundings. “Perpetrators like to prey on people who are distracted,” she stressed. “Try not to be on your cell phone when you are walking, and you will probably be less of a victim than someone who has his or her head buried in a cellphone, text messaging.”
