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Robberies in Forest Hills Reach Record Low, NYPD Says

By Ewa Kern-Jedrychowska | January 13, 2014 2:06pm
 There were 76 robberies in the 112 Precinct last year.
There were 76 robberies in the 112 Precinct last year.
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DNAinfo/Ewa Kern-Jedrychowska

QUEENS — The number of robberies in Forest Hills declined by nearly 25 percent to a record low, authorities said.

The news is in line with previous police disclosures that murders and car thefts have also reached historic lows in the area.

In 2013, there were 76 robberies in the 112th Precinct, which covers Forest Hills and Rego Park, compared to 103 in 2012, according to statistics provided by the NYPD.

Capt. Thomas Conforti, commanding officer of the precinct, said that was the lowest level in more than two decades, the earliest records that are available.

In 1990, there were 698 robberies in the precinct. By 2001, that number had decreased by more than 70 percent.

Crime in other major categories, including rape and felony assault, also fell in the area in 2013.

Overall crime in the 112th Precinct declined by about 7.5 percent compared to the previous year, Conforti said. Citywide crime is down about 1 percent, he noted.

The number of vehicles stolen in the 112th Precinct hit an historic low of 60 in 2013, said Conforti, a far cry from the nearly 3,500 stolen in 1990.

There hasn't been a homicide within the precinct since June 2011, according to Conforti.

The only category that is still up is burglary. There were 173 break-ins in 2013, compared to 142 the year before.

Conforti, speaking at a Community Board 6 meeting last week, attributed the decrease to "the hard work [of his police officers] and the partnership with the community."

"I set the standards high that we are going to do even better this year," he said.