By Jeff Lipton
Overall, serious crime - murder, sexual offenses, robbery, burglary, felonious assault, auto theft and grand larceny - rose from 443 incidents in 2004 to 475 in 2005, a 7 percent increase, police statistics show.
The hike was led by a spike in robberies, from 32 to 56, as well as an increase in burglaries, from 100 to 117, a 17 percent rise.
The report also showed an increase in stolen autos, from 57 to 64, a 12 percent jump. The number of sexual offenses increased from one to four. No murders were recorded in either year.
The only crime categories that saw decreases were felonious assault, which took a 22 percent dive, from 27 incidents in 2004 to 21 in 2005, and grand larceny, which dropped 6 percent, from 226 to 213.
Deputy Inspector Richard McCarrick, who took command of the 4th Precinct in July 2005, said he is concerned about the robbery statistics. "We had a number of street robberies," McCarrick said. He added that many of the 56 incidents took place on the Far Rockaway-Five Towns border and along Route 878. McCarrick also said that the Five Towns were hit with several shoplifting incidents that turned into robberies when store personnel or security guards tried to stop shoplifters, who ended up using physical force to try to get away with merchandise.
"But we are concerned about the [robbery] numbers," McCarrick said. "A robbery is a robbery, and we look at it as a serious crime."
To help stem the tide, police have been talking with store owners and managers about "prosecution policies and how to help keep them safe and prevent some of these things from happening," McCarrick said.
He explained that even though burglary was up 17 percent, most of the 117 break-ins were committed at the beginning of 2005, and the Five Towns actually saw a downward trend at the end of the year. In addition, McCarrick said, burglary was down for the first two months of 2006. "So we're definitely off to a good start," he said.
To help curtail burglaries and robberies, McCarrick said, additional patrols were added, and they have been closely following burglary and robbery patterns. The bolstered patrols have led to arrests that have helped reduce the number of crimes.
McCarrick said that residents and merchants can help protect themselves by being more aware of their surroundings. For instance, they should be extremely cautious when using ATMs. "Basically, criminals look for the opportunity to commit crimes," McCarrick said.
In addition, he cautioned motorists to avoid leaving cell phones, laptop computers and portable navigation systems in plain view in their cars.
Police said they have managed to curtail felonious assaults by keeping close tabs on bars and other businesses that are licensed to sell alcohol.
Despite the increase in crime, some residents said they felt as safe as ever in the Five Towns. "I feel fine about it," Isabel Remstein, a resident of Bayview Avenue in Cedarhurst, said about the report. "Let's put it this way: Any time I needed police, they have come. I've had no personal bad experiences with them."
Remstein added that she sees the police patrols in her neighborhood, giving her a greater sense of security.
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