GRAND LARCENY: The handyman had sticky fingers | At just after 4:15 p.m. on Wed., Feb. 17, a repairman working for Bismarck Phillips Communication & Media (537 W. 25th St., 3rd Fl., btw. 10th & 11th Aves.) helped himself to an envelope from the petty cash drawer containing $1,140. In an ironic twist, which likely left his employers un-amused, the man was tasked with installing a new lock on the cash drawer — presumably to prevent thefts like the one he just committed. In a further twist, sure to leave the perp un-amused, video evidence of his crime is available.
PETIT LARCENY: Courtesy costs man a really cool hat | Any mother worth her salt will tell you good manners dictate you take your hat off at the dinner table — so naturally, that’s exactly what one man did when enjoying a meal at The Dish (201 Eighth Ave., btw. W. 20th & W. 21st Sts.) on Thurs., Feb. 18. While sitting at the restaurant at about 10:25 p.m., the 47-year-old placed his hat on a table/booth behind him. When he went to retrieve his handsome headgear, he found that someone had taken it. The handmade Austrian Hutmacher Zapf hat snatched by the newly capped crook was worth $300.
PETIT LARCENY: Green card lost in red-light shop | A 41-year-old Brooklyn resident’s sojourn to a steamy Chelsea hangout landed him in some hot water on Sat., Feb. 20, at around 7 p.m. The man was enjoying some entertainment in a booth at the adult store Rainbow & Triangle (second floor, 155 Eighth Ave., btw. W. 17th & W. 18th Sts.; formerly known as Splosh, when if offered adult products on the ground floor and dining upstairs). After he left, the man realized some of his personal effects remained in the booth. He returned to find the property — including $60 cash, his security license, and his green card — missing.
PETIT LARCENY: Cab sabotage | While the confiscation of keys is surely a boon to business for many a cabbie, two yellow cab operators experienced an unfortunate paradigm shift on Sat., Feb. 20. According to the police report’s witness — a 53-year-old employee of the 64-year-old victim — five people (two male, three female) entered their taxi at about 9:55 p.m., in front of 234 W. 21st St. When the group was refused service, as the taxi was not allowed to take that many passengers, the hopeful passenger in the front seat grabbed the key out of the car’s ignition. The man then fled on foot, westbound on W. 21st St., and then southbound on 12th Ave., with the $200 key in tow. Police conducted a canvas of the area, to negative results.
GRAND LARCENY: Swede sours on app service | On Fri., Feb. 19, an unethical Uber driver took a visitor from Sweden for a ride, in more ways than one. The Swiss mister entered a black sedan he’d hailed at around 6:45 p.m., in the vicinity of Penn Station. As the app-acquired wheel wielder began to drive, however, he changed the face price of the ride — and in protest, the passenger requested to stop and leave. As the man exited the vehicle at W. 21st St. & Seventh Ave., he tried to take his belongings out of the car — but the dastardly driver sped away. The victim attempted to call Uber to resolve the issue, but was unable to track the driver. All said and done, the man suffered a $6,350 loss — including $2,000 worth of clothes, $800 in contact lenses, and pricey goodies like an iPad ($1,000), a Panasonic Camera ($400), and Bose headphones ($300).
—SEAN EGAN
THE 10th PRECINCT: Located at 230 W. 20th St. (btw. Seventh & Eighth Aves.). Commander: Deputy Inspector Michele Irizarry. Main number: 212-741-8211. Community Affairs: 212-741-8226. Crime Prevention: 212-741-8226. Domestic Violence: 212-741-8216. Youth Officer: 212-741-8211. Auxiliary Coordinator: 212-924-3377. Detective Squad: 212-741-8245. The Community Council meets on the last Wed. of the month, 7 p.m., at the 10th Precinct or other locations to be announced. The next meeting is Mar. 30.
THE 13th PRECINCT: Located at 230 E. 21st St. (btw. Second & Third Aves.). Deputy Inspector: David Ehrenberg. Call 212-477-7411. Community Affairs: 212-477-7427. Crime Prevention: 212-477-7427. Domestic Violence: 212-477-3863. Youth Officer: 212-477-7411. Auxiliary Coordinator: 212-477-4380. Detective Squad: 212-477-7444. The Community Council meets on the third Tues. of the month, 6:30 p.m., at the 13th Precinct. The next meeting is Mar. 15.
CASH FOR GUNS | $100 cash will be given (no questions asked) for each handgun, assault weapon or sawed-off shotgun, up to a maximum payment of $300. Guns are accepted at any Police Precinct, PSA or Transit District.
