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Capt. Bohannon assured Howard Beach residents that the recent surge in property crimes “is a priority for us.”
By Michael V. Cusenza
Cops are concerned about a recent increase in property crimes in some south Queens neighborhoods.
“Property crime is up the last couple of weeks in Howard Beach and Lindenwood,” noted Capt. Brian Bohannon, commanding officer of the 106th Precinct, at the Halloween meeting of the Howard Beach-Lindenwood Civic.
Bohannon pointed out that it’s not just the 106 that’s feeling the pain of car thefts and break-ins, but the neighboring 75th and the 102nd “are getting it, too.”
In response to the uptick in such offenses, Bohannon said extra Auto Larceny Unit officers have been deployed to the command.
The captain said he’s troubled by the recent rash of thefts of property from cars. In the last four weeks, there have been no less than a dozen reported incidents of items being removed from autos. However, as Bohannon was quick to note, in the vast majority of these cases, the crooks didn’t even have to break a sweat to gain entry: In 11 of the 12 property-loss reports, the owner of the vehicle had left it unlocked and unattended.
“We don’t live in a perfect world. This is a crime of opportunity—we have to limit those opportunities,” the captain added. “This is a priority for us.”
