By Daniel Katzive
A broken pipe at the Bloomingdale Library on 100th Street knocked the 24th Precinct’s Community Council meeting out of its usual location on Wednesday.
However, a portable microphone amplifier, some chairs brought in by the precinct’s Community Affairs Officers, the late summer sunset, and cooperative weather allowed the meeting to go on as scheduled outdoors in the Happy Warrior Playground at 99th Street and Amsterdam.
Small children enjoying the playground equipment and teens playing basketball provided a pleasant backdrop as Precinct Commander Deputy Inspector Naoki Yaguchi confirmed that robberies are up in the precinct, with 20 reported over the past 28-day period, including 10 street robberies.
Detectives are asking for help from the public in identifying suspects in one of the robberies which occurred this past Saturday at 5am on Broadway at 89th Street. The precinct shared a photo of the suspect on the @NYPD24Pct Twitter feed and asked that tips be reported to Crime Stoppers.
🚨WANTED for ROBBERY🚨
On SAT 6/11 at about 5 am, a victim was robbed at W. 89 St. & Broadway on the #UWS. The 24th Precinct Detective Squad is attempting to identify these individuals in connection with the incident.
Call 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or DM @NYPDTips pic.twitter.com/h92RUqW4rq
— NYPD 24th Precinct (@NYPD24Pct) June 15, 2022
Meanwhile, Inspector Yaguchi noted that the shoplifting wave that had been boosting larceny numbers in the precinct has now subsided thanks to stepped-up patrols and cooperation from large retailers along Columbus Avenue above 97th Street.
However, overall larceny numbers remain elevated as incidents involving vehicles have picked up, particularly along Riverside Drive. This includes thefts of property inside vehicles as well as thefts involving catalytic converters and side-view mirrors.
Officer Sarah Frankel, the precinct’s Crime Prevention Officer, advised motorists to park in well-lit areas and avoid leaving property visible in their vehicles.
The next 24th Community Council meeting will be in September after a two-month hiatus for summer. As for the Bloomingdale Library, the NYPL website indicates the location has been closed for building repairs since June 10 and will reopen in approximately six weeks.
So just the other day, some time this past week, I was coming out of the 1/2/3 station at 96th at night and there was a guy standing in the middle of 96th begging for money, forcing WB traffic to go around him. In 30 seconds time, two cop cars (one marked the other unmarked) drove by, swerved around him and kept on going. Glad to see my tax dollars not doing much at all.
That guy has been there, doing the same thing, for years.
So we should just ignore it? I believe that is considered a crime. I’m not saying we should give him the chair or send him away for life, but we need to do something. If he needs help, give it to him. Ignoring the issue helps no one. Allowing people to waste their lives away is not being kind.
These little quality of life problems really add up.
Also more relevant to the 24th, walked by the cops stationed outside the Target at 97th and Columbus, just as someone rode a moped up the wrong way in the Columbus Ave bike lane. No f’s given. They may as well have stationed some scarecrows outside dressed in Halloween uniform.
Can you please crack down on fake and defaced license plates. They’re all over the place. You see new cars with brand new plates that have been mangled until the paint falls off, or the rear plate is cut or folded over so cameras can’t see all the numbers. I’ve seen “temporary” paper NJ plates that were probably fake taped over regular NYS plates underneath. I’ve seen temporary paper plates from states like West Virginia…seriously, those are real? How hard it is to enforce against this? It would pay for itself.
There will be no crackdown on fake or covered plates since it is the cops themselves who often do this with their private cars. Just take a stroll down 100th st near the station house and you’ll see. As usual cops think they are not subject to law.
They’re probably cars that were seized and impounded.
Thanks, Officer Frankel, for your advice to
park cars in “well-lit areas”!
Brilliant!
Do you have other advice from 1930 that we should know about?
The public doesn’t realize what a challenge it is to fight all the different kinds of crime in our neighborhood and around the city. As Precinct commanders everywhere, the 24 Precinct commander must make tactical and strategic decisions about where to deploy its resources, prioritizing the locations where crime is prevalent and those crimes that represent the greatest risk to the public. For example, it is more important to deal with violent crime and getting guns off the street than stopping a biker going the wrong way on a street. These brave men and women put their lives on the line every day for our protection. They don’t deserve to be disrespected. If you think that the NYPD needs more resources, then please direct your concerns to the Mayor and the City Council and be willing to pay higher taxes. And, if you observe criminal activity, call 911.
Well said. Yes, if only people did contact their City Council and elected officials instead of just complaining on a blog, we might actually make some progress in this city. This precinct does everything they can up to the current laws, never backs down and bravely makes every effort to keep us safe. The lack of resources to keep up with the current increased of crimes is on the CITY COUNCIL AND ELECTED OFFICIALS that people voted for.
You know, I don’t believe “they put their lives on the line every day.” I think that’s true on occasion, and I respect, admire, and salute those officers who do. But I do believe the police here have been in a slowdown since the summer of 2020, which they may be finally ending.
The 20 & 24 Precincts are short-staffed by decisions made downtown to staff up the truly high crime neighborhoods. Ask elected officials what they’re doing about it. Start with Gail Brewer.