After a report that misdemeanor crime spiked in the precinct around the Resorts World Casino at Aqueduct Racetrack, politicians are calling for more cops, regardless of what may have caused the jump.
The New York Post reported that in the two months after the racino opened in Ozone Park, petit larcenies and misdemeanor assaults jumped up compared to November and December of last year.
There were 92 petit larcenies in November compared to 60 in November 2010, and there 41 misdemeanor assaults compared to 26 in November 2010, the Post reported.
December also saw an increase, albeit smaller.
“This just emphasizes the point that we need to be ahead of the curve and get more police into the precinct to compensate for what’s being built,” said State Senator Joe Addabbo (D-Queens), referencing Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s plan to have a 3.8-million square-foot convention center and expanded gambling at the site.
Addabbo said he’s thankful it’s not felony crime that spiked and the area unfortunately has a track record of home burglaries and car thefts.
“This just goes to our point that we need more officers in our neighborhood,” he said.
By Jeremiah Dobruck
j.dobruck@theforumnewsgroup.com
