A rash of burglaries in Middle Village has prompted the 104th Police Precinct to urge residents to lock their homes and windows – as well as take a series of other precautionary measures to prevent the criminals from hitting even more residences.
There have been 11 dozen break-ins in the neighborhood over the past month, and police have distributed numerous flyers in the area asking that people lock all doors and windows, secure air conditioners into windows, use secondary locks on sliding glass doors, active alarm systems, use good lighting along pathways to doors, use interior light patterns to establish a pattern of occupancy, and make it look someone is home in an empty house.
Detective Thomas Bell, a community affairs officer with the 104th Precinct, told area leaders and residents on Tuesday that the 104th has arrested five individuals – two adults and three minors – allegedly tied to a number of the burglaries in Middle Village. Additionally, police said another three people were charged with a burglary in Glendale
John Lease, 21, of Middle Village was arrested along with three juveniles, all 16-years-olds who live in confines of the 104th Precinct. The four individuals were charged with burglary, police said.
Michael Watts, 37, of Brooklyn was arrested in connection to four burglaries in the Middle Village area, according to police.
Jonathan Rios, 29; James Jenkins, 21; and Calvin Covington, 45 were arrested and charged with the Glendale burglary, police said.
The investigation into the other burglaries is still ongoing, Bell said.
While this series of burglaries has plagued the area this summer, the number of burglaries in the precinct has dropped since this time last year, according to city records. There were 200 reported burglaries as of July 28 – a 17 percent drop over the 200 burglaries as of July 28, 2012.
.Complaints for a number of major crimes have dropped over the past year. There have been 123 robberies reported this year, which represents an 18 percent decrease over the 150 reported as of the same time last year. There have been 86 complaints of grand larceny auto – a 31.2 percent drop from the 125 reported as of last year.
The number of rapes has increased from eight at this time last year to nine currently. Overall, there has been a 9.2 percent decrease in crime in the precinct, according to city statistics.
Anyone with information about the recent burglaries is asked to call the 104th Precinct at (718) 386-3004.
By Anna Gustafson
