Cops of the Month at 83rd Precinct

During the 83rd Precinct Community Council meeting that took place at the 83rd Precinct on Tuesday, March 17, two officers were honored with the Cop of the Month award for arresting a gun-toting individual.

On Jan. 3, Police Officers Oscar Lopez and Gisela Moreno apprehended one individual who was carrying a firearm. “They took one gun off the streets,” the precinct’s commanding officer, Deputy Inspector Maximo Tolentino, said. “So that’s one less gun out in Bushwick. That’s one gun that’s not going to be used near our kids.” The plaques the officers received were donated by the Times Newsweekly.

Tolentino also gave his crime report for the precinct.

During the 28-day period, the precinct is down three total crimes. Year to date, the 83rd has had one fewer homicide but had five rapes compared to three this time last year. So far, there were 56 robberies compared to 76; 52 assaults compared to 66; and an increase in burglaries, with 96 versus 93. There was only one shooting compared to five from last year, a decrease of 80 percent. “One thing that I do attribute that to is the 17 guns we have taken off the streets of Bushwick this year,” Tolentino said.

Tolentino alerted the community council to three crime patterns taking place in Bushwick. One is a grand larceny pattern where five vehicles have been broken into. “That’s one area that we’re going to concentrate on, going forward,” Tolentino said. He told those in attendance not to leave valuables visible in their car since that could entice a criminal to try and break in. “The more stuff you leave visible, the more of an opportunity that presents,” Tolentino warned.

The other two patterns are both robbery patterns. The first pattern involves two black males who displayed a firearm and demanded property from the victims near Halsey Street, Gates Avenue and Central Avenue. The second involves two black males, age 23 to 26, asking for the time, and when the victim takes out his or her cellphone the thief grabs the victim’s belongings and runs off. These incidents are taking place on Broadway and Jefferson Avenue and Broadway and Hancock Street.

“I think, overall we’re in a good place when it comes to crime,” Tolentino said. “We are very happy with where we are.”

Tolentino announced that the 83rd Precinct will soon be getting ShotSpotter, a detection system that can pinpoint the location of gunfire. “Basically, these sensors will automatically tell us where the shots are coming from out in the street,” Tolentino explained. These sensors should be in place and available for the precinct’s use within the next few weeks.