BUSHWICK — After a spike in thefts in and around two local subway stations in the past few months, a police crackdown has led to a marked improvement — not a single robbery was reported in the area in February, an NYPD deputy inspector said.
The perimeter bordering Johnson, Flushing, Bushwick and Morgan avenues had six robberies each in December 2011 and January 2012, Deputy Inspector Michael Kemper of the 90th Precinct, which polices the area, told DNAinfo.
But not a single robbery was reported last month, he said.
The robberies — mainly of electronic items such as cell phones and iPods — had occurred primarily around the Morgan Avenue L subway station and the Flushing Avenue J, M and Z stop, Kemper said.
The pattern coincided with an overall increase in thefts of electronics in subway across the city.
The most recent robbery in the East Williamsburg and Bushwick area happened on January 31. At 4:10 p.m. that day, a 14-year-old's cell phone was stolen at the corner of Morgan Avenue and Thames Street.
The suspect was subsequently arrested.
Kemper said the 90th Precinct honed in on the zone, routing more officers to patrol the area around the clock. The crackdown, combined with the dissemination of fliers warning the community to be vigilant regarding their belongings, has helped bring down the number of robberies, he said.
"We've dedicated our resources there," Kemper said. "I've directed more officers to the area both day and night, both in uniforms and plain clothes.
He said the focus in the area would continue.
