The first meeting of the year for the 69th Precinct Community Council was held at the Hebrew Educational Society, 9502 Seaview Avenue, on Tuesday, January 31st, where the commanding officer gave a recap of 2022 crime statistics and presented Cop of the Month Awards to two dedicated officers.
Deputy Inspector Khandakar Abdullah said that the precinct ended the year with some really good positives, but also with a few negatives.
On the positive side, Deputy Inspector Abdullah said that murder, rape and felony assaults were down last year, and shooting incidents and victims were down drastically. He was proud to inform attendees that there were no shootings during the month of September. “The last time that happened was 2018.”
On another positive note, Abdullah said, “We ended the last quarter of 2022 with less shootings in a quarter than in any previous year since 2004.” He attributed these successes to “the dedicated men and women of the 69th Precinct who have made not only more arrests but quality arrests.” He said that his officers went after hardened criminals with guns and gang records, resulting in a 15% overall increase in gun arrests.
When 11 gang members were arrested and charged with defrauding the public of $4 million last February, residential burglaries in the area stopped, Abdullah said. Civilian complaints also decreased last year, but the predominant complaint by residents in Canarsie is illegally-parked and abandoned vehicles. He was pleased to share that the precinct towed 190 of those vehicles last year.
With the collaboration of multiple city agencies and our elected officials, Abdullah said that they were able to eradicate some important issues, such as a gambling operation on Conklin Avenue. “Con Edison shut the electricity at the location – they were actually stealing electricity,” he explained.
The year started off on a positive note too. The precinct is down in four of the seven major crime categories, but there has been an increase in unattended property grand larcenies, often occurring in commercial locations like Rite Aid, BJ’s and even two fitness centers. He warned residents to secure their property – phone, wallets and credit cards – while visiting retail establishments.
There has also been a slight increase in robberies, attributed to a group of youths, who were identified as students from South Shore High School. Thanks to our youth and field training officers, three of the worst offenders were arrested this year and two were placed in a juvenile detention facility.
Two cops who exemplify hard work were recognized for their dedication. Officers Ridhwanul Rabbe and Kinsly Okafor were presented with Cop of the Month awards for arresting two gang members who stole a car.
Abdullah said that on Monday, December 19th, the two officers were patrolling on Ralph and Flatlands Avenue. Using license plate readers, a technology that traces stolen vehicles, they got an alert for a stolen car from Queens. The officers initiated a car stop, but the car took off in the direction of East 108th Street and Avenue N, where it landed in the waters of Fresh Creek. The two perpetrators, both gang members with extensive arrests, got out of the car, and Officers Rabbe and Okafor apprehended them.
Executive Officer Jared Badillo reported that there were nine lives lost in 2022 due to traffic collisions compared to one the previous year. The goal is zero deaths in 2023, he said, and believes that can be accomplished by conducting a study on the crash sites and analyzing the data to determine if things like more lighting or brighter pavement is needed.
Badillo say they will “influence driving behavior and habits by offering literature and flyers, but will also issue summonses.” He asked motorists to stay off their phones and not to text while driving. “Always wear a seatbelt and look before you cross the street. Criminals don’t stop at red lights.”
