By Kimberly Roman
Since 2000 overall crime is down 12 percent, Mayor Eugene Murray said. It's been down 35 percent in the last 10 years.
Murray said he attributes this decline to the pro-active anti-crime strategies of the Police Department.
And he isn't the only one who believes this.
Many residents throughout Rockville Centre praised the efforts of the department for a job well done.
Whenever I had the occasion to call the police, which wasn't too often, a patrol car has come by in a matter of minutes, Phyllis Max said. It is very reassuring when I drive through town or at night. There is a presence of patrol cars in the area.
Paul Roiper, another RVC resident, said he feels the police are always on top of things.
I lived in Brooklyn for 40 years and Rockville Centre is a lot safer than that, Roiper said. We have our own police department and the crime rate isn't as high as where I lived before.
Police statistics show that robberies, for the year 2001, have decreased by 44 percent from last year. Auto theft declined 54 percent and other types of larceny decreased by 17 percent.
However, youth calls increased by 23 percent.
A Rockville Centre Police Department news release stated even though youth calls increased from the year before, absolute numbers remain low for an agency this size.
Compare our present figure of 710 calls with 1117 during 1995, the news release said. With the exceptions of 2000 and 1992, we remain at the lowest figures since tracking began.
One resident asked the village board at its Jan. 7 meeting to do something about the youths hanging out in north Rockville Centre, littering his lawn with beer bottles.
Still most residents seemed satisfied with the safety that the village of Rockville Centre provides.
I trust my neighbors, they are always home and I have a vicious dog, Michael Clancy said. It's a safe neighborhood, I don't mind walking through town at night.
