Commanding officer of the 104th Precinct, Capt. Michael Cody updates residents on the latest crime statistics at the COP 104 meeting on Thursday, June 21. Forum Newsgroup photo by Luis Gronda.
Crime is a mixed bag at the 104th Precinct, as police officers spoke to residents about what’s going on in their Maspeth, Middle Village, Ridgewood and Glendale at the COP 104 meeting on Thursday, June 25.
According to the latest crime stats reported by Capt. Michael Cody, commanding officer of the 104th Precinct, as of June 17, some crimes have seen a recent decrease and the reverse is true for three other crimes.
Robberies and felony assaults are down in the precinct in the last 28 day period.
There have been 16 reported robberies for this time period compared to 19 for the same time period last year.
As for the felony assaults, there have been 18 reported felony assaults for this period and 27 for the same time period in 2011.
Burglaries, grand larcenies and auto thefts have all increased in the last 28 days for the precinct.
There have been 38 reported burglaries compared to 35 last year. As for grand larcenies, there have been 48 for this year’s time period and 42 for the same time period in 2011.
Grand larceny auto, which is the theft of a vehicle, has seen the biggest increase for this precinct, with 23 reported to the 104th for this 28 day period compared to 14 last year.
A recent rash of burglaries is partially to blame for the increase in that crime for the last four weeks and the year overall.
Cody said that, around late April to the middle of May, there was a burglary pattern in the Middle Village and Maspeth areas in which a criminal would go into a person’s home, either through an unlocked door or window, and take whatever possessions were easy to grab.
He said that the pattern was particularly alarming because there are a lot of former police officers who live in those two neighborhoods and many residents who own a gun.
“I really wanted to prevent a tragedy before it happens,” Cody said.
He added that Jefferson Villarama, was caught and charged for eight burglaries in Maspeth and Middle Village and for a theft in Woodside.
Also during the meeting, Cody asked people to secure their air conditioners now that summer is in full swing.
He said a loose unit is another way for a burglar to get into someone’s home. If it’s not secure, Cody said that they could push the air conditioner into the house and get in through the open window where it was.
By Luis Gronda
