Pardon Me For Asking: Significant Increase In Robberies Seen In 76th Police Precinct

Captain John Lewis
76th Precinct, South Brooklyn

This just in from the 76th Police Precinct Commander, Captain John Lewis. It would seem that there is a significant increase in robberies in our area and that the main culprits are teens. Most of the robberies in this last period were committed in the Red Hook area but also on one five-block section of Smith Street. Read on:

"FOR THE 28 DAY PERIOD THAT ENDED ON SUNDAY OCTOBER 17TH, THE 76 PRECINCT EXPERIENCED A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN ROBBERIES. IN FACT THERE WERE 16 INCIDENTS OF ROBBERIES REPORTED FOR THE PERIOD COMPARED TO 4 REPORTED ROBBERIES FOR THE SAME PERIOD IN 2009. THE INCREASE IN ROBBERIES IN THE 76 PRECINCT WAS PART OF A CITY-WIDE INCREASE IN ROBBERIES.

WHEN ANALYZING THE DATA FOR THE CITY-WIDE INCREASE IT APPEARS THAT THE INCREASE CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO YOUNG PEOPLE COMMITTING STRONG ARM (PHYSICAL FORCE-NO WEAPONS). IT APPEARS THAT THE CITY-WIDE TREND OF YOUNG PEOPLE COMMITTING ROBBERIES HOLDS TRUE FOR THE COMMUNITIES SERVED BY THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE 76TH PRECINCT WITH SIX OF THE TEN PERSONS ARRESTED FOR ROBBERY DURING THAT PERIOD BEING 19 YEARS OF AGE OR LESS.

ANALYSIS OF THE ROBBERY STATISTICS REVEALS THAT A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF THE ROBBERIES TOOK PLACE IN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY OF THE REDHOOK AND GOWANUS HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS AS WELL AS A SMALL PERCENTAGE BEING COMMITTED WITHIN A FEW BLOCKS OF SMITH STREET. IN AN EFFORT TO PREVENT ROBBERIES AND APPREHEND THE PERPETRATORS OF THE ROBBERIES WHEN THEY OCCUR, WE AT THE 76 PRECINCT HAVE DEPLOYED OUR PERSONNEL IN THE AREAS WHERE THE CRIMES ARE TAKING PLACE. THE OFFICERS DEPLOYED IN THESE AREAS HAVE BEEN DIRECTED TO PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO LOW LEVEL CRIMES AND QUALITY OF LIFE OFFENSES. AS A RESULT OF THE DEPLOYMENT IN THE LOCATIONS WHERE THE ROBBERIES ARE OCCURRING 76 PRECINCT PERSONNEL WERE ABLE TO APPREHEND NINE INDIVIDUALS INVOLVED IN SIX OF THE INCIDENTS IN OUR INITILAL RESPONSE TO THE REPORTED INCIDENT. THE DETECTIVES ASSIGNED TO THE 76 PRECINCT ARRESTED ONE MALE FOR AN ATTEMPTED ROBBERY DURING THE PERIOD. THE DETAILS OF THAT ARREST ARE DETAILED IN THE NEXT PARAGRAPH.

PATROL UNITS WERE DEPLOYED ON COURT STREET ON TUESDAY OCTOBER 12TH STOPPED A MALE FOR RIDING A BICYCLE ON THE SIDEWALK. THE MALE WAS FOUND TO BE IN POSSESSION OF AN IMITATION PISTOL. THE MALE WAS BROUGHT TO THE 76 PRECINCT FOR ARREST PROCESSING AND FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT HE WAS THE PERPETRATOR OF AN ATTEMPTED ROBBERY OF A NEARBY CVS PHARMACY THAT HAD OCCURRED ON SUNDAY OCTOBER 10, 2010. DETECTIVES WERE ALSO ABLE TO LINK THE SAME INDIVIDUAL TO A BURGLARY OF A DIFFERENT PHARMACY THAT OCCURRED ON OCTOBER 9, 2010.

IN ADDITION TO EFFECTIVE DEPLOYMENT, IT IS NECESSARY TO ENSURE THAT THERE IS APPROPRIATE FOLLOW-UP WHENEVER A PERSON IS ARRESTED FOR ONE OF THESE CRIMES. WHENVER A PERSON IS ARRESTED FOR A ROBBERY, AN EXECUTIVE MEMBER FROM THE 76 PRECINCT CONFERS WITH THE PROSECUTOR AND CONVEYS THE IMPORTANCE OF THE CASE AND THE GRAVITY OF THE PROBLEM BEING EXPERIENCED IN THE COMMUNITY. WE CONSTSANTLY WORK WITH THE PROSECUTOR TO ENSURE THAT PERPETRATORS ARE ARRAIGNED ON THE APPROPRIATE CHARGE AND REQUEST THAT APPROPRIATE BAIL IS SET IN ORDER TO ENSURE THE DEFENDANTS APPEARANCE IN COURT.

PART OF OUR REDUCTION STRATEGY IS TO VIGOROUSLY PATROL THE AREAS WHERE KNOWN PERPETATORS OF ROBBERIES FREQUENT AND RESIDE. YOUTHFUL OFFENDERS ARE VISITED AT THEIR RESIDENCES AND AT THEIR SCHOOLS IN AN ATTEMPT TO TURN THEM AWAY FROM A LIFE OF CRIME. WE AT THE 76 BELIEVE THAT WITH CONSTANT ANALYSIS OF THE CRIME DATA, EFFECTIVE DEPLOYMENT AND RELENTLESS FOLLOW-UP WE WILL BE ABLE TO ABATE THE RECENT SPIKE IN ROBBERIES.

AS ALWAYS THE POLICE NEED THE PUBLICS HELP IN THE FIGHT AGAINST CRIME. SOME SIMPLE MEASURES THAT CAN BE TAKEN TO REDUCE THE CHANCE OF BECOMING A VICTIM ARE:

A) ALWAYS BE AWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS. PARTICULARLY WHEN DIALING A CELL-PHONE OR TEXTING OR E-MAILING FROM A PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE.

B) REPORT SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY TO 911.

C) NEVER LEAVE VALUABLES UNNATTENDED, PARTICULARLY WHEN IN PUBLIC PLACES SUCH AS PARKS, TRANSIT FACILITIES AND RETAIL ESTABLISHMENTS.

D) IF YOU BECOME THE VICTIM OF A CRIME, PROMPTLY REPORT THE INCIDENT TO 911. (IT GREATLY INCREASES OUR CHANCES OF APPREHENDING THE PERPETRATOR, THEREBY PREVENTING OTHERS FROM BEING VICTIMIZED."