EAST VILLAGE — More police officers will soon hit the streets of the East Village to crack down on nightlife-related problems, an NYPD official said this week.
Within the next month, eight to 10 new officers will join the East Village's Ninth Precinct, said Capt. John Cappelmann, the precinct's new commanding officer.
Cappelmann said he plans to assign the officers to the midnight conditions and midnight anticrime teams, which fight late-night crime and quality-of-life issues related to bars and nightclubs.
"I'm looking to put more people on both of those commands," Cappelmann told residents at a Ninth Precinct Community Council meeting Tuesday night. "I'm definitely aware of the issues here."
Cappelmann said he was responding to concerns he has heard from East Village residents since taking over the command about a month ago. Many residents turned out for Tuesday night's meeting to complain about noise and unruly crowds emanating from the neighborhood's densely packed bars.
"It's not something we can fix overnight," Cappelmann told the residents, adding he would do his best to try.
Cappelmann also updated residents on the latest crime trends in the neighborhood.
Burglaries recently spiked in the East Village precinct, with 19 over the past 28 days, compared to 12 during the same period last year, Cappelmann said. Some of the break-ins occurred during the day at residential buildings, with thieves entering through fire escapes and windows, while others occurred overnight at commercial businesses, Cappelmann said.
The NYPD collared at least some of the alleged perpetrators, and Cappelmann noted that not a single burglary has been reported in the precinct since a series of arrests on Feb. 13.
The neighborhood has also seen a recent increase in felony assaults, with 12 in the past 28 days, compared to three during the same period last year, Cappelmann said.
He said police made arrests in 10 of the 12 cases, adding that five of the incidents involved domestic disputes in which there was no prior history of domestic violence.
