Crime in Ridge, Dyker trending downwards

While crime, citywide, is heading down overall, the 68th Precinct in Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights is outpacing not only the citywide average in terms of crime reduction but also the rest of the precincts in Patrol Borough Brooklyn South (PBBS).

At the May meeting of the 68th Precinct Community Council, Captain Robert Conwell, the precinct’s commander, told members that the precinct, which has seen a continued drop in felony crime over the last several years, was leading Brooklyn South in terms of crime reduction.

As of June 3,  the precinct was down in the seven index crimes (murder, rape, robbery, felonious assault, burglary, grand larceny and grand larceny auto or GLA) 20.34 percent, compared to the same point in 2017.

In comparison, PBBS, which comprises 13 precincts from Coney Island to Carroll Gardens, was down 8.67 percent in the seven index crimes over the same time period.

“We’re looking at the top recidivists, the top offenders. We’re trying to watch the right people, the guys known to commit crime in the 68th Precinct,” Conwell told this paper.

Last year at this time, a total of 354 index crimes was reported, compared to 282 so far in 2018.

There have been decreases in burglary (down 42.1 percent year to date, with 33 in 2018 as opposed to 57 in 2017), robbery (down 36.1 percent, with 23 in 2018 as opposed to 36 in 2017), felonious assault (down 30.6 percent, with 34 in 2018 as opposed to 49 in 2017), grand larceny (down 11.8 percent, with 150 in 2018 as opposed to 170 in 2017) and GLA (down 2.9 percent, with 33 in 2018 as opposed to 34 in 2017). Rapes are flat, with eight so far in 2018, the same number as at this point last year. There has been one murder so far this year; at this point in 2018, there had been none.

The number of shootings victims and incidents is stagnant, with just one each reported at this time in both 2017 and 2018.

Besides targeted police work, Conwell also credited residents for the decrease in crime in the precinct.

“We’re also getting a lot of help from the community,” he said. “They let us know what’s going on and where, and we go and investigate.”

Helen Klein contributed reporting to this article.

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.