Cars, Other Crimes Spike Maspeth And Woodside: Cops

Auto thefts and overall crimes surged over the last month in Maspeth and Woodside, respectively, according to police officials on hand at the Communities of Maspeth and Elmhurst Together (COMET) civic association’s Apr. 5 meeting at Bethzatha Church of God in Elmhurst.

The executive officer of the 104th Precinct, Capt. Raymond DeWitt, told residents that eight vehicles were reportedly stolen in the area of Maspeth patrolled by the command during the previous 28-day period. Deputy Inspector Thomas Kavanagh, commander of the 108th Precinct, added that the news wasn’t much better in Woodside, as the area south of Queens Boulevard saw nine crimes in the previous month.

104th Precinct: Cars swiped

Car thieves ran amok around Maspeth and the 104th Precinct’s confines, as auto thefts spiked throughout the command, DeWitt stated. Thirty-five vehicles were reported stolen over the four-week period, six more than reported during the same time last year.

During the week prior to COMET’s meeting, the captain added, 15 auto thefts were tallied, more than twice the number recorded at the same week in 2010.

P.O. Thomas Bell of the 104th Precinct noted that the thefts in Maspeth occurred at scattered locations around the neighborhood, with all types and models of vehicles taken. The locations are as follows:

• 59th Avenue and 60th Lane, a 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche was stolen between Mar. 11 and 12;

• 69th Street near 53rd Road, a 2010 Toyota Rav 4 was taken on the afternoon of Mar. 16;

• 53rd Avenue and 62nd Street, a 2005 Infiniti sedan was taken between the evening of Mar. 7 and the morning of Mar 8;

• Maspeth Avenue near 59th Place, a 2010 Dodge Caravan was reported stolen on Mar. 22;

• 69th Place between Hull and Grand avenues, a 2006 Ford Econoline van was reported stolen on Mar. 22;

• Perry Avenue and 66th Street, a 2003 Nissan Altima was taken on Mar. 23;

• 60th Street near 60th Road, a 2004 Dodge SUV was reported stolen on Mar. 24; and,

• Maurice and Borden avenues, a 2002 Kia Sedona was stolen on Mar. 24.

Other crimes which occurred within the Maspeth sector over the previous 28-day period included three burglaries, three grand larcenies and a felony assault, police sources said.

Even with the rash of auto thefts in Maspeth, the 104th Precinct has seen overall crime increase slightly year-to-date, Captain DeWitt told residents. Over the previous month, he noted, felonies had dropped by seven percent.

DeWitt credited the recent decrease to the work of a “task force” of nine police officers provided by Patrol Borough Queens North brought into the precinct to help address a spike in burglaries. Their efforts, the executive officer noted, helped “curtail” the number of breakins around the precinct.

One of the most prevalent crimes for the precinct this year has been felony assaults, which DeWitt noted are up 50 percent for the year. The vast majority of the incident, he stated, were domestic disputes, many of which took place in the Ridgewood area.

108th Precinct: Burglary tries

Of the nine crimes reported in the sector south of Queens Boulevard in Woodside, Deputy Inspector Kavanagh noted that two of the incidents were attempted burglaries. Bandits reportedly failed to break in through the roof of a check cashing store on Queens Boulevard in one incident, while in the other burglary, a crook managed to get into a home on 47th Avenue and removed a flatscreen television.

In the latter break-in, the commander said, the suspects managed to get in through a rear window. He urged residents to keep their windows locked whenever they are away from home in order to deter potential thieves from getting inside.

“These guys get in, and a lot of times, they’re not breaking the glass [of the window], which a neighbor might hear,” he said.

The Woodside sector also had three reported auto thefts in the previous four weeks: a 1996 Honda taken near the intersection of 64th Street and 51st Avenue; a 2005 Toyota stolen in the vicinity of Tyler Avenue and 63rd Street; and a Honda motorcycle removed from in front of a home on 70th Street.

“We were spiking in [auto thefts] for the first two months,” but the numbers leveled off as the year went on, Kavanagh added.

Three grand larcenies occurred in the Woodside area, including the removal of tires and rims from a 2009 Lexus parked in the vicinity of 58th Lane and Laurel Hill Boulevard. The deputy inspector noted that the crime fits an ongoing citywide pattern of tire thefts currently under investigation by police.

Finally, detectives are looking for the suspect behind an active pattern of robberies in Woodside who recently held up a woman on 65th Place near 48th Avenue. According to Kavanagh, the perpetrator—described as a Hispanic male in his 20s or 30s—allegedly targeted women of Asian descent during late night hours on several occasions in the neighborhood.

In the 65th Place incident, the deputy inspector described, the crook approached the victim from behind, grabbed her property and fled from the scene inside a black four-door sedan with tinted windows. No weapons were displayed and the victim was not injured.

The ongoing investigation is being conducted by the 108th Precinct Detective Squad. Anyone with information regarding the series that could prove helpful are asked to call the squad at 1-718-784-5441; all calls will be kept confidential.

COMET President Rosemarie Daraio and civic member Richard Gundlach reported hearing vehicles drag racing in the vicinity of 51st Avenue. Kavanagh stated that the precinct had recently arrested several alleged racers along Review Avenue in Long Island City, adding that the precinct would look into the civic member’s claims.

Daraio encouraged residents who suspects drag racing is going on in their area to contact COMET, which will then forward the information to police for further investigation.

Cash for new park proposal

Queens Borough President Helen Marshall has pledged $1 million in funding this fiscal year toward the purchase of the former site of St. Saviour’s Church in Maspeth for the eventual creation of a public park, according to Christina Wilkinson, president of the Newtown Historical Society.

“The borough president asked the Parks Department to negotiate with the owner on purchasing” the site on Rust Street near 57th Road, Wilkinson said, noting that Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe had previously expressed interest in acquiring the land for the creation of a public park.

With the property’s market value currently being sold by the owners for a multi-million dollar price tag, Wilkinson told residents that the organization is working on securing funds from other agencies in both the city and state governments as well as private entities. She noted that the New York City Parks Foundation has a fund for parks projects near Newtown Creek which could be used toward purchasing the St. Saviour’s site.

‘MillionTrees’ campaign

New street trees will be planted in Woodside this spring as part of the MillionTreesNYC program, according to Gina Baldwin, an AmeriCorps volunteer working for the Parks Department at the Queens Botanical Garden.

Baldwin stated that more than 300,000 new trees have already been planted along streets and lots across the five boroughs, and that the city is working to recruit volunteers to help care for the new saplings.

She invited residents to attend a workshop held on Mar. 28 at Maspeth Town Hall by the Parks Department in Woodside to educate the public on how to maintain their street trees.

The new trees are being planted to help beautify the city and clean the air New Yorkers breathe, Baldwin stated. She noted that the additional street trees also help reduce sewer runoff during major rain events.

The volunteer also noted that the MillionTrees program provides information on the benefits of using mulch and compost to keep trees growing strong and healthy. Additionally, those who take part in the workshop and pledge to “adopt a tree” near their home or business will be provided by the city with free planting tools needed to care for it.

For more information on the MillionTreesNYC program, visit www.nyc.gov/milliontreesnyc.

The next COMET meeting is scheduled to take place on Monday, May 3 at 7 p.m. at Bethzatha Church of God, located at 85-24 57th Ave. in Elmhurst. For more information, visit www.cometcivic.com.