QUEENS — Forest Hills car owners have reason to feel a little safer.
The number of vehicles stolen in the 112th Precinct, which covers Forest Hills and Rego Park, is on pace to hit a historic low, police officials said.
So far this year, about 50 vehicles were stolen in the neighborhood, said Capt. Thomas Conforti, commanding officer of the precinct, a far cry from the nearly 3,500 stolen in 1990.
During the same period last year 71 cars were stolen, according to statistics provided by the NYPD.
“We are on pace to have the lowest amount of car thefts ever in the 112th Precinct,” Conforti said at a Community Board 6 meeting earlier this week.
Overall “crime in the 112th Precinct is down dramatically,” Conforti noted.
According to statistics for the period ending Dec. 1 — the most recent numbers available — crime in the area declined by 7.7 percent, compared to the same period last year. Citywide crime is down about 1 precent, Conforti said.
There have been 4 rapes this year in the 112th Precinct, about 33 percent less than last year, when there were 6 rapes.
Robberies have decreased by 21 percent and felony assaults and grand larcenies are also down.
The only crime category that went up is burglary. So far this year there have been 162 break-ins in the neighborhood, 24 percent more than last year, when there were 130 burglaries.
Conforti attributed the decrease to the work of his police officers and their collaboration with residents.
