By Anthony Rifilato
About 60 Baldwinites heard from First Precinct Lt. Rick Capece and Hempstead Town Councilman Anthony Santino, who tried to allay residents' concerns about recent crimes in the area.
The predominant issue of the evening was last month's stabbing outside Baldwin High, in which two students and a 24-year-old man were injured during a brawl, but officials also addressed quality-of-life issues and overall crime in Baldwin.
Capece told the audience, which included members of the school board and School Superintendent Kathy Weiss, that gang activity, such as the stabbings, as well as recent bank robberies and shootings, are not rampant in Baldwin, as some people may believe.
"People have a tendency to think it's something continually happening," Capece said. "It's overdone in the media."
But clearly, there is cause for genuine concern, and Capece took care in his speech to emphasize the First Precinct's serious stance on combating crime in the community.
Capece said that the Nov. 20 stabbing involved members of two rival gangs who had a prior conflict, though he said it had not been determined whether the high school victims were gang members. He also emphasized that the brawl was not related to large-scale, ongoing friction between two gangs.
"I don't believe gangs are entrenched in Baldwin as much as Roosevelt...there are not many gang incidents in Baldwin," said Capese.
He noted that this was the first major violent incident at the high school, and said that, overall, "It hasn't been really bad."
He added that more information on the incident would be forthcoming and that the precinct is working closely with school officials through its School Resource Officers, who serve as liaisons and speak to faculty and students. A fourth arrest was made last week in connection with the fight.
Capece, who recently returned to the First to head its Community Response Team, explained that the precinct is taking a three-pronged approach to combating crime. It includes stepped-up enforcement in problem areas of Uniondale, Roosevelt and Baldwin. These areas, Capece said, are targeted for certain crimes such as gang activity.
"Each area has its own unique problems, and we're tailoring the police response to each community," Capece said after the meeting.
The second piece of the puzzle, he explained, is gathering intelligence, and the third prong is intervention in the schools.
According to Capece, crime has spiked in Baldwin this year, though he did not provide statistics. "Crime is running the same as it was in 2000, which was higher than 2001," he said.
He added that the number of arrests made by the CRT is up this year. Capece said that in the last month, the CRT made seven arrests for burglary in Baldwin, and that the majority of suspects were from Hempstead. One of those arrests was for a string of bank robberies, two of which occurred in Baldwin, at the Washington Mutual on Grand Avenue and at the CFS Bank inside the Grand Avenue Pathmark. Capece described the man arrested as part of an organized group that committed robberies in Nassau and Suffolk counties as well as Queens.
He also referred to a recent shooting that took place on North William Street in Baldwin, in which a resident was shot in the face. Capece said the victim and the suspect had a prior conflict and that the shooting was not random.
Capece also highlighted recent successes the First Precinct has had in enforcement, including shutting down the Crow Bar on Grand Avenue on drug and prostitution charges, as well the closure of two massage parlors on Sunrise Highway.
Concerns about crime in the shopping center have led to an increased police presence there, said Capece. Arrests for drug and alcohol use have been made in the area, and the shopping center is being patrolled by marked and unmarked police cars, which includes surveillance of the "pit," the area adjacent to the Baldwin Shopping Center where teens often congregate.
Several members of the audience peppered Capese with questions on various issues in Baldwin, from illegal parking to the precinct's response to crime. But the most frequent questions revolved around school safety.
One parent pointedly asked if there are gang members in the high school, and Capece responded with a simple "yes," though he stressed that gangs are not pervasive or dominant in the schools or the community. He also said that the presence of any gang members in the middle school would be unlikely, because most kids who get involved with gangs are over 16.
"To get in a gang they have to be beaten in," said Capece, who outlined the severe initiations young people go through to become gang members, which include enduring beatings, committing crimes, or in the rare case of girls, performing sexual acts.
Audience members also inquired about the police presence outside the high school. Capece reiterated that there is an increased police presence there.
Another parent commented on communication between the First Precinct and the schools, asking, "Will police recommend a course of action?"
"We do speak," Capese said. "We don't make recommendations [about school policy] unless we think it's a major incident. We haven't had that here."
Others asked about crimes such as the use and dealing of drugs, and loitering. Capece said the precinct is investigating areas where there is possible drug activity and loitering, but was forthright about difficulties the precinct faces when combating crime, and reminded the audience that problems aren't solved overnight. He encouraged people to call the precinct with tips or concerns.
"We want to stay on top of things," Capece said. "Empowerment means that you have a voice. If you make it known, people will listen."
Councilman Santino, who was gearing up for his own Baldwin town meeting on Dec. 10, also spoke, addressing concerns ranging from school safety to illegal apartments. Santino said the town is doing the best it can to address problems such as traffic and illegal dwellings. "The town needs the community to be its eyes and ears," he said. "My office follows up very aggressively with calls small and large."
He said the town will "jump" on the "pit" problem at the shopping center. "The Town will go in there with a fine-tooth comb," he said.
Santino added that the town is investing a tremendous amount in Baldwin, adding new parking lots exclusively for Baldwin residents near the Long Island Rail Road Station and refurbishing the downtown area.
The BCA, clearly disappointed by the turnout, held the meeting not only to address safety issues but also to galvanize the community and make the organization stronger.
"We've won a few battles," said BCA President Dee Cruz.
"But we won't win if only 60 people from the community show up." Earlier, Cruz had said, "I'm not moving, I'm not giving up. We shouldn't give up."
Baldwin resident Dona Schwab agreed with Cruz and expressed dismay at what she described as people hastily considering selling their homes and fleeing the community.
"I still walk the streets of Baldwin without being afraid," Schwab said.
