By Nicole Falco
Having one's car stolen continues to be one of the biggest threats to residents in Valley Stream. However, statistics show an almost one-fourth decrease in the number of cars stolen in 2001 when compared to a decade ago in Valley Stream. In 2001, there were 101 cars stolen from the Incorporated Village of Valley Stream and 20 cars stolen from the unincorporated areas of North and South Valley Stream. By comparison, there was an average of 388 cars stolen each year between 1988 and 1991 in the village and an average of 96 cars stolen each year between 1989 and 1991 in the unincorporated areas.
"Cars are getting harder and harder to steal. Now cars have everything from alarms to passive alert systems," said Fifth Precinct Deputy Inspector James McDonald. "To steal a car today you'd have to almost flatbed it away."
According to Police Officer Stan Slevinski, crime analyst for the Fifth Precinct, municipal lots, railroad station parking lots and Green Acres Mall are areas that still attract car thieves.
Valley Stream continues to remain quiet when it comes to the occurrence of violent crimes such as rape, assault or murder. In many cases, the violent crimes that do occur are domestic related or occur between people who are known to each other, according to McDonald.
Between 2000 and 2001, the number of businesses burglarized in the village increased from 27 to 57. Much of the increase is attributed to the "cylinder lock" burglar, Slevinski said. This burglar had been targeting stores mainly along Merrick Road. Those burglaries have since stopped.
Larcenies other than auto have decreased in both the village and unincorporated areas between 2000 and 2001 .In the village there was a 22 percent decrease between 2000 and 2001 from 432 to 338. In unincorporated areas there was 71 percent decrease from 101 in 2000 to 29 in 2001. Larceny other than auto includes crimes such as shoplifting, pickpocketing and credit card number theft.
Criminal mischief, which includes graffiti, has also declined. In the village there was a 30 percent decrease from 278 in 2000 to 194 in 2001 and a 61 percent decrease in unincorporated areas from 70 in 2000 to 27 in 2001.
Despite the decrease, youth crimes, such as graffiti and bike theft, remain one of the highest crime statistics in Valley Stream, McDonald said.
"Crime in Valley Stream is something that we have under control," McDonald said. "Valley Stream is a fairly stable community. It really is a mainstream Nassau County community that is experiencing the same set of problems as some of the other villages and hamlets in Nassau County."
Many factors contributed to the decrease and stabilization of crime in Valley Stream and throughout the entire Fifth Precinct, McDonald said. Anything from the economy to the population's average age can affect crime.
About five years ago, officers began working 12-hour shifts instead of eight-hour shifts. This change allowed for greater communication among officers on patrol, according to Slevinski. In addition, three posts or sectors were added in recent years so the precinct now has a total of 24 posts.
Four years ago, a separate base was established at Green Acres Mall. The satellite precinct was established to handle the numerous stolen-car reports and cases of petit and grand larcenies that occur within the confines of the mall. As a result, a post car was "freed up" to patrol the rest of Valley Stream, Slevinski said.
In recent months, redeployment of officers from "specialty posts" meant two of the four officers assigned to Green Acres have been put out on patrol, but McDonald said the precinct already has measures in place to offset the possible effects of redeployment. For instance, patrol officers are instructed to perform a "walk and talk" on a regular basis in Green Acres, meaning leave their cars, walk around the mall and talk to merchants.
There are 152 officers on patrol and 20 supervisors in the precinct. At times, members of highway patrol, the bureau of special operations or plain-clothes police are assigned to assist the precinct. Also, there are 80 Valley Stream Civilian Patrol members and numerous auxiliary police who act as the "eyes and ears" of the precinct. McDonald and Slevinski attributed the community's involvement to decreases in crime.
"I can't begin to tell you how invaluable [the civilian patrol and auxiliary] are to us. They are an asset every department should have," Slevinski said.
