There’s good news on the streets for residents of Park Slope – crime in the neighborhood is down over seven and a half percent, more than twice the citywide average.
As of October 5th, crime in the 78th Precinct – which includes the neighborhood and Prospect Park – had declined 7.57 percent compared to a year ago, a fact trumpeted by the precinct commander, Deputy Inspector John Argenziano at the September community council meeting. Citywide, crime had declined 3.21 percent, as of October 5th.
Speaking to the group gathered at the Prospect Park Residence, 1 Prospect Park West, Argenziano credited the precinct’s “officers on patrol” for “making the collars and putting guys behind bars.”
Indeed, Argenziano noted that it had been “a good summer for me and the 78th precinct. As usual, we have some problems, like every other precinct,” he acknowledged. “We had our club problems, our burglary problems, our grand larceny problems. We fought hard, this year, with our burglaries. It’s a tough crime, but our burglaries are down.”
The most dramatic drop in the seven major crime categories, in terms of percentages, is in the area of rape – which is down 66.6 percent year to date, with two so far this year, compared with six at this time last year.
Also way down is grand larceny auto, which has declined 23 percent, with 60 so far in 2008, compared with 78 at this point in 2007. Felonious assaults are also way down, with 55 so far in 2008, compared to 70 at this point in 2007, for a total decline of 21.4 percent.
Robberies are also down, 16.1 percent. So far, this year, there have been 99; there were 118 at this point, last year. The other crime that is down, so far this year, is burglary; there have been 149 so far this year, compared to 154 at this point last year, for a drop of 3.2 percent.
There has been a slight increase in grand larcenies. With 316 so far this year, compared to 314 at this point last year, grand larcenies are up .6 percent. Also up are murders. While there were none at this point last year, there have been three so far this year.
