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Cops Added to 106th Precinct Because of Racino, Report Says

By Smriti Rao | May 15, 2012 12:52pm
Ten new cops added to 106th precinct to increase patrolling in areas removed from Acqueduct
Ten new cops added to 106th precinct to increase patrolling in areas removed from Acqueduct
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Flickr/cdogstar

OZONE PARK — The NYPD has added nearly a dozen officers to the 106th Precinct's ranks to make up for manpower diverted by the new and ultra-popular Aqueduct racino, according to a published report.

The opening of the gambling facility at the racetrack in August 2011 coincided with a spike in crime in areas that lost officers, state Sen. Joseph Addabbo told the Daily News.

“Those crimes are not taking place around the racino area,” he said, according to the report. “The areas in which they pull [officers] from, those areas have picked up in crime.”

Grand larcenies are up 35 percent this year compared to the same period last year, but it's not clear where those crimes occurred.

Addabbo hopes the addition of the ten new cops, which he first requested in a letter to Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly last February, will be able to counter the police shortage caused by additional patrolling at the Resorts World Racino.

The racino draw more than 100,000 visitors each week to the neighborhood.