Crime on the decline in southwest Brooklyn

As the rest of New York City experiences a scary spike in crime,crime continues to decrease in southwest Brooklyn.

The 62nd Precinct – which includes Bensonhurst and Bath Beach -has seen a 5.81 percent decline in the seven major crime categoriesyear to date, and the 68th Precinct – which includes Bay Ridge andDyker Heights – has seen a drop of 5.99 percent compared to thistime last year, according to the NYPD’s CompStat system. In themeantime, citywide, crime has gone up by 0.12 percent as ofSeptember 18 .

That’s a result of the dedication and hard work of the officersat the 68th Precinct, said Captain Richard DiBlasio. In addition,the relationship between the community and the 68 is very strong.This is a reflection on how strong that relationship is – they worktogether. This is a number we are all proud of.

Deputy Inspector James Rooney of the 62nd Precinct said theneighborhood has experienced a decline in property crimes, such asburglary and robbery. We had a lot of quality arrests so far thisyear regarding property crimes, he said. It’s an end result ofall the cops here, particularly in the area of property crimes thatwe have made some major headway on.

These numbers reflect an ongoing trend. Between 1993 and 2010,major crimes fell by 77 percent in Bensonhurst and by 80 percent inBay Ridge.

We are very proud of the men and women of the 62 and ourcommanding officer Inspector Rooney for being one of the safestcommunities citywide, said Marnee Elias-Pavia, district manager ofCommunity Board 11. We have a wonderful relationship andcommunication and dialogue are always open. We look forward tocontinue working with them and keeping our community safe anddesirable to live in.

Josephine Beckmann, district manager of Community Board 10,echoed Elias-Pavia’s words. We always attribute our safety to allthe officers at the 68th Precinct, she said. As districtmanager, I work with the public on a daily basis to discussconcerns and am really thankful. These numbers reflect thatsentiment. They officers are responsive, proactive and have a greatrelationship with the community.

Most residents were not surprised to hear the news.

We feel safe and satisfied – so far so good, said RoxanneBitetzakis, a Bay Ridge resident of 45 years. In all my yearsliving here, nothing has ever happened. It’s kind of weird.

Dominick Botte, Jr., of Bath Beach agreed. I do feel safe, hesaid, noting that he is a retired detective from the 62nd Precinct.I think the police officers are very vigilant and the statisticsprove it.

But Elaine Togias said she just ordered a security door for herBay Ridge home. It surprises me. I don’t feel safe, she said,noting that her neighbors have been experiencing an influx ofbreak-ins. Walk down Fifth Avenue at night and you will see. Thereare kids hanging out on corners smoking, and I hear there is a lotof drug dealing going on.

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