By Albert Amateau
Burglaries way down but car thefts are up Downtown
The sharp decline in crime citywide over the past 11 years is continuing at a slower pace, according to New York Police Department reports comparing 2004 with the previous year. But there were spikes in grand larceny and robberies in precincts that cover the Lower East Side, Soho and Greenwich Village.
However, in the First Precinct, which covers Lower Manhattan to Frankfort St. east of Broadway and up to Houston St. west of Broadway, the only spike was a small one in auto theft, and the 10.5 percent decline in all felony crime outpaced the citywide 4.76 percent decline.
Robbery was a serious problem in the Seventh Precinct, covering the Lower East Side south of Houston St. and east of Allen St., where it spiked to an 8.9 percent increase. Counter to the Lower Manhattan trend, total crime was up 6.18 percent and robbery was up 5.7 percent in 2004 in the Sixth Precinct, covering the traditionally low-crime Village.
First Precinct
The burglary rate in the First Precinct showed the most improvement in 2004, a 37.4 percent decline this year compared to 2003. There were two murders in 2004, the same number as the year before, and six rapes were reported in 2004 compared to 10 the previous year. Robbery declined 3.2 percent, while felony assault declined 6.9 percent. Grand larceny declined 5.6 percent but auto theft rose 2.5 percent.
For the past two years, total crime in the Lower Manhattan precinct declined 16.36 percent and over the past three years, the decline was 23.6 percent. Over the past 11 years, First Precinct crime declined 65.58 percent.
Seventh Precinct
“Robbery is our main focus because it can lead to violence,” said Deputy Inspector Brian McCarthy, commander of the Seventh Precinct. “We monitor the crime closely and youth is a big factor. Most of our robbery arrests are people between the ages of 16 and 22,” McCarthy said.
The seventh is the precinct where Nicole duFresne was shot to death on Jan. 27 in a robbery on the corner of Rivington and Clinton Sts. for which a 19-year-old man was charged with murder along with two girls, ages 14 and 18. Connected with that incident, two males, 15 and 18, were charged with attempted robbery before the murder.
But 45 percent of robberies in the seventh are “strong-arm” incidents, committed without weapons, and they occur predominately in the 4 p.m.-to-midnight tour. Many are inside buildings in residential lobbies or stores, McCarthy said.
Arrests in the Seventh Precinct have also increased, rising from 1,354 in 2003 to 2,061 in 2004 in the six felony crime categories. “The arrests increased last year, too — it’s the highest rate in the city,” McCarthy said.
Total crimes in the seventh were down 2.78 percent last year from 2003. For the 11-year period from 1992, crimes were down 63.8 percent. Three murders were reported in 2004, compared to six the previous year. Seven rapes were reported, compared to 11 in 2003; felonious assaults were down 9 percent, and burglaries declined 20.9 percent. Grand larceny, however, rose 8.9 percent, but auto theft declined 9.6 percent in the Seventh Precinct.
Fifth Precinct
Total crime in the Fifth Precinct, which covers the Lower East Side and Chinatown between Broadway and Allen St. from Houston St. to Frankfort St. just south of the Brooklyn Bridge, declined 4.5 percent last year.
One murder was reported in the precinct compared to three in 2003 and five rapes were reported compared to six the pervious year. Robbery declined 12 percent. Felony assault was down 3.1 percent and burglary declined 19.2 percent. Grand larceny, however, increased 1.7 percent compared to the previous year. Auto theft declined 2.7 percent.
Ninth Precinct
Crime in the Ninth Precinct, which includes the East Village between 14th and Houston Sts. east of Broadway, declined 4.19 percent last year from 2003. But murder increased to four from three the previous year and rape rose to 18 from 16. “Most of the rape in our precinct involves acquaintances or people living in the same household,” said Deputy Inspector James McCarthy.
Robbery was down 21 percent from 2003 and felony assault declined 12.7 percent. Burglary, however, rose 9.5 percent.
“We had a couple of guys who killed us on burglary in 2004 until we locked them up,” said McCarthy. “One guy admitted to 20 burglaries and another guy admitted to 10,” he said.
Grand larceny was down slightly — by 1.6 percent — and auto theft declined 12.5 percent in the Ninth Precinct.
Albert@DowntownExpress.com
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