CRIME TAKES HOLIDAY

Members of the 83rd Precinct's Explorers Unit were on hand at last Tuesday's 83rd Precinct Community Council meeting in Bushwick to inform residents of some of their activities. Crime has taken a nose dive in the Bushwick area in recent weeks, the commanding officer of the 83rd Precinct informed residents at the 83rd Precinct Community Council meeting last Tuesday, Nov. 18.

During the session at the Bushwick stationhouse, Deputy Inspector Stephen Capasso stated that felonies dropped by 23.2 percent during the 28-day period that concluded on Nov. 16. Four crime categories—robbery, felony assault, grand larceny and auto theft—each dropped by double-digit percentages.

The number of break-ins held slightly over during the four-week period, Capasso said, as 37 burglaries were tallied, a decrease of one from the same time last year.

Rape was the only crime category that increased during the period, the commander reported. Four cases were reported in the command, an increase by three from last year.

Even so, Capasso stated that arrests were made in three of the incidents, while the fourth was later determined to be a hoax. The complaintant in that case, he said, was later arrested for filing a false report.

Two shootings were also reported over the last four weeks, the deputy inspector noted. In one case, which occurred on Monday, Nov. 17 at a Jefferson Avenue location, a man was shot during an apparent dispute over a relationship.

Deputy Inspector Capasso stated that police have identified the perpetrator behind the gunfire and were in the process of looking for the suspect.

The other shooting was later determined to have been self-inflicted, the commander noted, and the person who made the complaint was also charged with false reporting.

Capasso credited the work of his officers and the cooperation for the community for helping the 83rd Precinct make "a vast turnaround" in fighting crime. Upon taking over in July, he noted, crime had been up eight percent for the year; as of last Tuesday's meeting, crime was down year-to-date by 2.3 percent.

"The men and women of the 83rd Precinct [since July] have made a lot of fantastic arrests," the deputy inspector said.

Prosecuting the offenders

An assistant district attorney with the Kings County District Attorney's office, Natash Verner, updated residents on the number of cases handled by prosecutors and their ongoing efforts to bring crimi- nals to justice.

Verner noted that the 83rd Precinct's confines are included in a region classified by the D.A.'s office as the "Gray Zone," which includes five other precincts in northern Brooklyn.

Currently, there are 570 open cases based in the Gray Zone, Verner said; 190 of them arose out of the 83rd Precinct. As of Oct. 31, she stated, more than 85 percent of the cases handled by the D.A.'s office from the zone resulted in conviction.

The assistant prosecutor added that the office does "target locations" where police report a rash of specific crimes, such as auto thefts. As a result, the office seeks high bail and full prosecution for individuals who are arrested for related crimes.

Youth groups, volunteer patrols

Residents also were given an overview on the precinct's Explorers and Youth Council program as well as the command's Auxiliary Unit.

P.O. Melvin Kendall of the 83rd Precinct Youth Unit was joined by several uniformed members of the Explorers, an organization which provides teenagers between 14 and 18 years of age with background information on law enforcement efforts.

Acting as an "adjutant police department," Kendall said, the volunteers take part in various community service activities including the annual National Night Out Against Crime. The program aims to give enough information to help the youngsters decide if they wish to pursue a career in law enforcement in later years.

Kendall's colleague in the Youth Unit, P.O. Natalie Robinson, explained the precinct's Youth Council, which offers safe afterschool activities for children between seven and 1 years old, including homework help and athletics.

Operating out of I.S. 383, Robinson noted, the council's participants are also involved with various community service projects, including graffiti removal and distributing meals on Thanksgiving.

Finally, A.Lt. Gilbert Sipola of the Auxiliary Unit provided information regarding the volunteer patrol that assists police in an "nonenforcement" capacity. Auxiliary officers act as the "eyes and ears" of the department, providing additional uniformed officers at public functions including parades to watch for any unlawful activities.

Other news

Council President Barbara Smith thanked those who took part in the organization's October fundraiser for its Thanksgiving food drive. More than $300 in proceeds from the event were secured to purchase turkeys and other food items for Bushwick families in need.

Baskets of turkeys and collected canned and non-perishable food items were distributed by the 83rd Precinct on Monday, Nov. 24.

Smith also invited residents to take part in its annual Christmas dinner/dance fund-raiser on Friday night, Dec. 5 at the Hope Gardens Senior Center. Several prominent members of the community, she noted, would be honored during the event.

Attendees are asked to bring a monetary donation with them to the Dec. 5 event. All proceeds will be used to purchase toys that will be given out to children at the precinct's annual Christmas party, which will take place on Saturday, Dec. 13 at the stationhouse.

The 83rd Precinct Community Council will not hold a December meeting. Their next session is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009 at 6:30 p.m. at the stationhouse on Knickerbocker Avenue at Bleecker Street in Bushwick.

For more information, call the Community Affairs Unit at 1-718- 574-1697.