By Anthony Rifilato
In Baldwin, there were 283 reported crimes from Jan. 1 to June 30 of this year, the same number reported during the same period last year. Overall, crime increased 4.5 percent throughout the 1st Precinct, from 3,530 incidents last year to 3,690 this year. The 1st Precinct covers Baldwin, South Hempstead, Uniondale, Roosevelt, East Meadow, North Merrick, and North Bellmore. Those year-to-date figures are from late December 2005 to late July of this year.
Rick Capece, who took over as the precinct¹s deputy inspector in January, said that the statistics help police pinpoint trends and address certain issues. ³In three years, I saw an improvement in the tracking of crime,² Capece said, referring to NASS-STAT, the department¹s crime tracking system that was implemented four years ago. ³We¹re more aware of crime trends and able to assign assets to the locations that they are needed most.² Major crime comprises murder, rape, robbery, burglary, felonious assault and auto theft. The midyear reports show no murders or rapes in Baldwin so far this year, but while the overall total has remained the same, certain crimes have spiked while others have declined. In 2006, for instance, there were 23 DWI arrests made, up from 20 the previous year, which Capece attributed to increased enforcement.
There was also a slight increase in burglaries, both commercial and residential, the latter category having ticked upward from 44 last year to 45 this year. However, Capece noted that home invasions, which made headlines throughout Nassau County last year, have been on the decline due to major arrests and targeted patrols.
³The precinct works with the Crimes Against Property Squad and detectives who specialize in going after burglary teams, and we¹ve had a terrific success rate,² Capece said. ³Rockville Centre, Hempstead and Freeport all border Baldwin, and we exchange information regularly.²
Capece said that last year police nabbed two burglary teams from Queens that were breaking into homes throughout the county while residents were present, which seems to have reduced such crimes in the area.
³Criminals don¹t recognize boundaries, and to counteract that, we exchange information with village police departments,² Capece said.
Robberies have dropped significantly in Baldwin, by 32 percent ‹ from 33 in 2005 to 23 this year ‹ which Capece attributed to increased police patrols. ³We have an emphasis on robbery patrols,² he explained, adding that he is a firm believer in targeted patrols with marked vehicles, which enhances police presence in certain areas and can be a deterrent.
Capece was also quick to note the difference between a burglary and a robbery, defining a robbery as when someone physically takes something from a victim.
While robberies have been on the decline, however, assaults are up 39 percent in Baldwin, from 28 to 39 this year. Capece said that there have been incidents around town to which police have responded, such as those at Papa Doc¹s bar and the Mambo Cafe, both on Grand Avenue near Merrick Road. There was also an incident at Gentleman¹s Quarters in March, where police arrested a disgruntled patron who returned to the club armed with a shotgun. The man was charged with attempted homicide, Capece said. Aside from that, he added, there have been no incidents or trouble at GQ.
³GQ has not been problematic,² said Capece. ³We¹ve had a decrease in criminal activity on Grand Avenue. We¹ve been seeing a trending down.²
Mostly, police have responded to calls for domestic assaults, which Capece said have been on the upswing lately. ³It could be that more victims are calling the police,² he said. ³This may be due to better education and not accepting the abuse and reaching out.²
Capece said that police officers comply with a mandatory domestic-violence arrest policy and assist the victim. ³In any domestic complaint, a referral is made to the proper family or criminal court or social service agency,² he said. ³We do make those referrals.²
Reported assaults and other crimes have declined at Baldwin High School, and aside from a series of bomb threats, Capece said, things have been ³quiet² there. There have been 60 calls for police service at the high school this year, down from 67 during the same period in 2005. ³This has been a quieter year,² he said, adding that there have been some reports of students being robbed of their iPods and cellphones, and that the department works with the school district to educate students.
³We have an excellent rapport with the Baldwin school administration and we work together to ensure the safety of the students,² Capece said.
Noting the rash of bomb threats and hoaxes, which seemed to disrupt the school day at both the high school and middle school on a regular basis during the 2005-06 school year, the deputy inspector said that one girl was arrested at the middle school, and that police have been working closely with the district to prevent threats in the future.
Capece said that one trend that has been on the upswing is the graffiti around Baldwin lately, from 3 reports in 2005 to 11 this year. ³Some were gang related, but most was just typical vandalism,² he said.
Capece also said that there is not a major gang presence in Baldwin, and that such activity tends to spill in from surrounding communities. ³I don¹t consider gangs a pressing issue in the Baldwin community,² he said. ³There is some gang activity in Baldwin, but our special patrol units are on top of it.²
Police are also targeting the train station to prevent auto thefts, which have dropped 40 percent in the community, from 40 in 2005 to 24 so far this year. ³We have put an emphasis on the train station, and we¹ve increased patrols,² Capece said.
There are five patrol cars that cover Baldwin at all times, he explained, and while he understands that residents would like to see a cop on every street every night, it just cannot be done. ³I realize I only have a finite amount of resources, and I have to deploy them in the most efficient manner,² Capece said, adding that he is a firm believer in community-oriented policing and maintains close relationships with the schools and other community groups.
³I realize that serious crime is an important issue,² he concluded, ³but I also believe that by taking care of the little problems ‹ speeding, loitering, things like that ‹ it leads to a better quality of life in the community.²
