Violent crime is up 40 percent in Hunts Point precinct
By Paul Bufano
Pbufano@hunter.cuny.edu
Violent crime is soaring in the 41st Precinct, which covers Hunts Point and Longwood. Between November and March, the number of violent crimes reported to police rose 40 percent and robberies have doubled, compared to the same period a year ago.
According to police, a wave of robberies committed by young people against young people is chiefly responsible for the increase. They are stealing cell phones, especially the popular Sidekick, which is marketed to teens by incorporating a keypad for text messaging and an instant connection to MySpace.
But assaults are on the rise as well. From March 10 to March 16, victims reported 29 assaults, compared to 19 a year ago.
In the same week, the precinct received 35 robbery complaints, compared to 16 in the same span of 2007.
All told, there have been 76 robbery complaints through mid-March, compared to 49 a year ago.
Forty percent of the phones stolen have been Sidekicks. Thieves can get upwards of $400 for them, police say, and they can be resold with the addition of a new $15 Sim card.
“These new phones are attracting so much attention because people carry them around to text message and email,” said Captain Donald J. McHugh, commander of the 41st Precinct. “The Sidekicks are particularly popular because anybody can simply replace its Sim card with a new one and the phone is now ‘hot’.”
In October, students participating in the youth program Rocking the Boat were mugged at dusk when they left the boathouse next door to Hunts Point Riverside Park. According to Anita Antonetty, Rocking the Boat’s job skills advocate, the students were walking along Garrison Avenue around 7:30 p.m. on their way to the subway when a small group approached them and one pulled out a gun. The robbers took their jewelry, their money and their cell phones.
Police say crimes are committed in roughly equal numbers at night and during the day. The problem is the worst along Southern Boulevard, said officer Ada Haddock, the precinct’s Community Affairs officer.Many residents fear that warmer weather will bring more crime.
“I see the kids hanging out on Lafayette Avenue late into the night, drinking and selling drugs,” said Teresa Anderson-Hayes. “I’ve been living here for 40 years and there has always been crime. I personally know how bad the neighborhood is, because both of my sons were jumped here when they were younger.”
“Recent crime? Well how recent do you want? Just a few minutes ago I seen a boy being chased down by a group of screaming boys,” said Landson Corine, 68, a long time resident of Longwood. “There’s always been crime; it’s just something I’ve accepted.”Under their new commander, police have begun an anti-robbery campaign.
“I decided to follow the money, and that led me to the pawn shops,” said Capt. McHugh. “I inspected the books and found out that kids are selling stolen Sidekicks to pawn shops with fake ids, and in turn the owners are installing new Sim cards and re-selling them as being clean.”
In an effort to deter robbers, the police offer a free phone engraving service at the precinct and at street events during the summer. A number is engraved on the inside of the phone and the owner’s identity is stored in a police database.
“You can’t put it all on the police because they have their hands full. After all this is an impoverished community, so it’s going to have its problems,”said Frank Lipsett, who works as a super in Hunts Point.
“But still I would like to see more officers on the street,he added.
Corine and Anderson-Hayes agree that economic conditions are partly responsible for the increase in crime. But they and Antonetty say they don’t see enough police cars and officers patrolling the neighborhood.
“Our kids are going to school here and are congregating at the park, and in order for the children and their families to feel they can participate in activities without fear of being robbed, the city needs to allocate more resources,” said Antonetty.
“There’s not enough officers on the street,” she continued. “After 4 p.m., many of the businesses are closing up and there aren’t a lot of people around; so if there were regular patrols around the area, the problem could be alleviated.”Officer Haddock says the police agree.
“We agree 100 percent that there’s a shortage of officers, but there is not a lot we can do, because we don’t have enough employees,” said Haddock. “It’s the economics of the business. People want more money and they aren’t getting it here.”
Haddock advises residents to walk in pairs, and urges them not to walk while holding a cell phone.