Jamaica, Queens, has long been tagged as one of the city's tougher neighborhoods. But the gritty stretch, centered on a rail hub, has enjoyed a renaissance of sorts as new businesses have moved in, lured by transit convenience and relatively low office rents. The 103rd Precinct covers the area, which includes stretches of Hillcrest and Jamaica avenues. It also includes Hollis, a residential neighborhood of detached frame houses that is known as a haven for working-class and middle-class residents, and as the stomping ground of famed rap group Run-DMC.

Like the rest of the city, the 103rd Precinct has seen a sharp decline in crime since the early 1990s. Total crime is down 74 percent from 1993 to 2010, led by a 73 percent drop in robberies and an 89 percent plunge in car thefts. The downward trend has continued, with 1,704 reported incidents of major crimes in 2010, compared with 1,761 logged in 2009, representing just a 3 percent drop, earning the area the ranking of 51st safest for per capita crime in DNAinfo.com's Crime & Safety Report, with 161 major crimes per 10,000 residents. This overall decline in crime was led by a 34 percent drop in reported rapes, from 32 incidents in 2009 to 21 in 2010.

Misdemeanor sex crimes, however, inched up by 3 percent in 2010. Felony assaults also were down from 385 to 342, an 11 percent drop, and burglaries plunged 14 percent, to 257.