112th precinct / population 112,277
With its mansions, winding lanes and cul-de-sacs, Forest Hills has been one of New York's most coveted residential neighborhoods for decades.
Like Riverdale in the Bronx, it has long been known as a suburb within the city, where diplomats and wealthy executives rub elbows; the public schools rank among the best in the city; and the streets, many featuring antique shops and cafes, are safe. Once home to the U.S. Open Tennis tournament, these neighborhoods were the early stomping grounds of actor David Caruso, musician Paul Simon and your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. Crime hasn't been a major issue here in the past, and it remains that way today.
Not surprisingly, the Queens neighborhoods of Forest Hills and Rego Park, which share the 112th Precinct, are among the safest in the city, placing sixth for per capita crime in DNAinfo.com's Crime & Safety Report. There were just 71 major crimes per 10,000 residents in 2010, a remarkably low figure.
Violent crime is rare here, with just one murder in 2010, down from two in 2009. Reported rapes were down as well, from six to four in the same period. Shootings are practically nonexistent, with just two reported in 2010, none in 2009.
Across the 112th Precinct, total crime is down precipitously, dropping a remarkable 88 percent from 1993 to 2010. Burglaries were down 90 percent and car theft plunged by a jaw-dropping 97 percent in that period. Petit larcenies (larcenies under $1,000) jumped a significant 46 percent, from 686 in 2009 to 1,000 in 2010, and robberies edged up by 3 percent between 2009 and 2010, leaving cops with two muggings a week to investigate. That's a record any small town might envy, let alone a New York City neighborhood.
33%
Rise in reported rapes from 2001 to 2010
88%
Drop in total major crimes, 1993 to 2010
Photo: James Messerschmidt
Wife Hires Hitman to Kill Husband
The gunfire rang out like a bolt from the blue in the normally quiet playground in Forest Hills on Oct. 28, 2007. A young orthodontist, Daniel Malakov, lay dying as his young daughter stood nearby. Suspicion quickly fell on his estranged wife, with whom Malakov had had an extraordinarily bitter break-up and custody battle.
The wife, Mazoltuv Borukhova (pictured), was eventually convicted of hiring a cousin to carry out the murder, which brought unwanted attention to this low-crime enclave. The death divided families in the tight-knit community of Bukharian Jewish immigrants (from Central Asia), the largest group of newcomers to the leafy neighborhood in recent years.
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