By Jeff Lipton
In a new tactic, two teams of two officers apiece will be deployed at retail areas to help deter holiday crime. The units will be able to move quickly from the Five Towns to Oceanside or to East Rockaway, wherever they are needed most.
"We will increase the police presence in retail areas in an effort to suppress crime. This will be a mobile force that will respond as necessary," said Fourth Precinct Inspector George Gudmundsen. "They will be all over the precinct."
The beefed-up patrols in the commercial areas of the precinct began in earnest as soon as the Thanksgiving holiday arrived and won't end until the new year is ushered in, as a proactive approach to deterring crime. Patrols will include marked and unmarked units, Inspector Gudmundsen said.
A spike in crime is usually seen during the holiday season. Shoppers usually carry more money during the holiday season and are more likely to be the targets of robbers, pickpockets and con artists. Such crimes soar at this time because they benefit from people being vulnerable while preoccupied with taking care of their shopping lists, police said.
"They present more of a target for criminals because they are often carrying many packages," the inspector said.
"This is a crime of opportunity, and for those bent on trying to seize that opportunity, we will be bent on suppressing them," he added. "The idea is to have an enjoyable and safe [holiday] experience."
In a pre-holiday incident, a man and his wife were robbed at gunpoint at 12:25 P.M. Nov. 21, after completing their shopping at Costco Wholesale, 605 Rockaway Tpke., North Lawrence, detectives said.
A 65-year-old man was loading packages into his car in the parking lot when a man pulled into the parking space alongside him and opened his car door, striking the victim's vehicle, police said. As the victim and the robber became involved in a discussion, the robber pushed the victim's door against his leg, put a gun to his head and demanded money, police said. The victim and his wife handed over $800 and the robber escaped in a red car. The victims were not injured, police said.
Detective Sergeant John Azzata of the Fourth Squad said the couple was targeted for a robbery from the outset. "It was a husband and wife who had just finished shopping."
As usual, police will be closely watching shopping areas such as the Five Towns Shopping Center in North Woodmere, the Bay Harbour Mall in North Lawrence, Central Avenue in Cedarhurst, Broadway in Woodmere and Hewlett, and the Penn-Mill Shopping Center in Hewlett. In Oceanside, the Lincoln Shopping Center on Atlantic Avenue and Long Beach Road and the Sands Shopping Center on Mott Street and Long Beach Road will be closely monitored by police.
Business leaders said they are thrilled with the extra patrols.
"Just the presence of a car coming by provides a peace of mind and provides a level of comfort. It really does," said Joe Gelb, president of the Hewlett Business Association. He added that his group recently presented the auxiliary police with a donation "to help them with their endeavors."
"At the Fourth Precinct, they are a terrific group of dedicated professionals, but there is just so much they can do," Mr. Gelb added. "And as a group, we try to support auxiliary patrols."
Incidents of pickpocketing also increase during the holiday season because shoppers usually drop their guard, concentrating on gift-buying, and shops are jam-packed, so criminals can get lost in the crowd.
Police have suggested certain tips to shoppers to avoid becoming a crime victim:
- Park cars in well-lit areas.
- Always lock car doors and windows.
- Lock all packages in the trunk of the car, keeping them off the seats of the car, where they can be seen in plain view.
- Constantly be aware of one's surroundings. Never carry more packages than you can handle without obstructing your view.
- Secure cell phones inside cars.
- Never carry large sums of cash and use credit cards whenever possible.
- If approached by a robber, do not resist but hand over property and then seek help from police.
Breaking into cars to steal packages from the seat also may lead to thieves stealing car stereos and cell phones, Inspector Gudmundsen said.
