By Jeff Lipton
Driven by hefty decreases in auto theft and robbery, major crime in the Five Towns tumbled 18 percent in 2000, compared with the previous year. But the number of business burglaries shot up 95 percent, causing police officials some alarm.
The number of felonies in the Five Towns fell from 222 to 183, according to year-end statistics supplied by the Fourth Precinct. The report compared major crime in the 12-month period Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 1999, with the same period in 2000. Major crime comprises murder, rape, robbery, commercial burglary, residential burglary, felonious assault and auto theft.
"We in the business can never be satisfied," said Inspector George Gudmundsen, commanding officer of the Fourth Precinct. "We're always looking to do a better job. But we are buoyed that there are reductions in the five of seven crime categories that we track, including significant cuts in stolen autos and robberies. These are very significant and important reductions in crime.
"The message that I would like to get out there is that individuals contemplating criminal activity in the Five Towns area, if they choose to do so, they will pursued, arrested and sent to jail. And the statistics show the Five Towns to be a safer place to live and work in 2000 than it was [the previous] year and we will continue working to make it safer still."
Arrests dropped from 66 to 51 in those crime categories, a 23 percent decline. But police officials said it is only natural that arrests will go down as the number of reported crimes decrease.
Commercial burglaries escalated from 20 to 39; car thefts fell 37.5 percent, from 112 to 70; robbery decreased 34.3 percent, from 35 to 23. Residential burglary showed a slight, 5.3 percent decrease, from 38 to 36, while rape dropped from three to two and murder from two to zero. Besides business break-ins, felonious assault also increased, from 12 to 13, police said.
"We love to see that downward spiral. It's a wonderful situation to have, but as far as we're concerned, no criminal activity is acceptable," Gudmundsen said. "We will continue to work to lower it further and further, as far as we can."
To further curtail crime, Gudmundsen said he is deploying a special anti-crime unit, consisting of two teams of two officers apiece with a supervisor. The officers will be assigned to the Five Towns both undercover and in uniform in marked cars. "These are very, very knowledgeable, conscientious police officers who will respond to various areas of the Five Towns as necessary," Gudmundsen said. "The flexibility that they provide me will allow the precinct to do an even better job for the residents of the Five Towns in both fighting crime and dealing with the quality-of-life issues that come up from time to time, such as youths congregating."
He said he was disturbed over the sizable increase in business burglaries. But, he added, 90 percent of the commercial break-ins occurred in the first three quarters of the year when, police believe, one burglar may have been targeting area stores. Police said that after they arrested a suspect, the burglaries slowed and the rate returned to the previous year's.
Traditions Deli, 302 Central Ave., Lawrence, was a business burglarized in 2000. The burglar or burglars entered through a rear window of the shop at 5:20 a.m. Sept. 23, and escaped with cash. But the store manager, Ari Lerner, said he still feels as safe as ever in the Five Towns.
"There's crime everywhere," Lerner said. "Just because it's the Five Towns doesn't mean there's no crime.
"I think that the police are doing enough," he added. "I'm comfortable with their patrols. I walk to my car at 11 o'clock at night and I don't find any problems."
Joe Gelb, president of the Hewlett Business Association, said police responded quickly to reports of robberies in Hewlett during Christmas. "The police took very strong and effective action," Gelb said. "They put on plainclothes detectives in unmarked cars over here. They really responded in a proactive way."
Sy Glass, president of the Woodmere Merchants Association, said shopkeepers feel secure with Fourth Precinct police and the Five Towns Auxiliary patrolling the community. "They've done a very good job. We haven't had too many problems around here. I think we always could use more patrols, but I do know that it's been very quiet around here lately."
One longtime resident of Woodmere said she feels completely safe in her neighborhood.
"I've lived in my house for 40 years and I have never had any problems," said the resident, who has lived in Woodmere for 60 years. "I certainly feel safe in my neighborhood.
"Thank God I have a husband. If I have to go out, I go out with him."
Gudmundsen said, "The Five Towns area is a beautiful, vibrant place to live and work and it enjoys excellent cooperation from the community, the residents and the business owners and we have a wonderful partnership. It goes a long way to keeping the Five Towns a wonderful place to live and work."
