Thefts of rims and tires are an ongoing battle in the 104th and neighboring precincts, Captain John Travaglia told attendees at a civic meeting on Monday night.
Overnight tire and rim thefts off of cars has been a persistent problem and filtered through the neighboring 110th, 108th and 104th precincts. All three precincts converge near the upper side of Maspeth near Elmhurst and Woodside.
Representatives from each precinct reported that the problem is resurfacing in the area.
“In the 108 we’ve had 10 so far this year. Tires and rims is a problem coming back.” Capt. Terry O’Toole, the 108th’s executive officer, said.
O’Toole said the thieves are operating in the dead of night between 3 and 5 a.m.
“These guys are jacking the car up putting a concrete block or a milk crate under there, and boom they’re stealing the
Captain John Travaglia, executive officer of the 104th Precinct, warned the community that rim and tire thefts are on the rise once again. Forum Newsgroup photo by Jeremiah Dobruck.
tires and rims,” he said.
To make them even harder to catch, they use a less noisy battery operated torque wrench, O’Toole said.
“They don’t make as much noise as they used to. They can zip off the tires—four nuts, five nuts whatever it is—one, two, three,” he said.
The 108th and 110th precincts only reported one tire and rim theft each in the last 28-day period, but the 104th Precinct reported three.
Travaglia listed the locations around the Maspeth area: 57th Avenue near 64th Street, 58th Avenue near 63rd Street and 65th Place near 51st Road. He said the perpetrators got away with tires and rims from a Honda, a 2011 Nisan Maxima and a 2010 Infinity.
The police present agreed that late model Hondas, Toyotas and high-end cars are frequent targets—even with factory-standard rims.
Travaglia and O’Toole advised attendees that it’s worth buying locks that are manufactured specifically to secure rims and tires.
At past meetings, Captain Michael Cody, commanding officer of the 104th Precinct advised drivers to turn the wheels toward the curb when parked to make removing the tires harder.
He also asked residents to call the precinct or 311 if they see street lights out on their block.
The phone number for the 104th is (718) 386-3004.
By Jeremiah Dobruck
j.dobruck@theforumnewsgroup.com
