Bayside Lawmakers Demand New Precinct Amid 'Alarming' Crime Spike

BAYSIDE, QUEENS — Bayside lawmakers want the NYPD to establish a new precinct in Northeast Queens amid what they called an "alarming" rise in crime.

The Queens elected officials — state Sen. Toby Ann Stavisky as well as Assembly members Edward Braunstein and Daniel Rosenthal — signed a letter Friday requesting NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell open a precinct to serve Bay Terrace, College Point and Whitestone.

“The 109th Precinct is one of the largest in the City and its officers work hard in spite of being overstrained,” said Bayside Assembly Member Edward Braunstein.

"A new police precinct would not only alleviate this existing pressure but help improve response time, expand police coverage and be an asset to the Northeast Queens community."

The letter comes as crime soars across all five boroughs, NYPD data show.

Through the first week of October, the NYPD’s 109th Precinct — which covers Whitestone, Flushing, and Bay Terrace — saw crime spike 93 percent in comparison to the same week in 2021, according to data from the NYPD.

The increase was fueled by a 109 percent increase in grand larcenies.

Stavisky praised local police for the protection they provide Northeast Queens but argued the task has become too big for a lone precinct to handle.

“The officers stationed in the 109th precinct do an admirable job with the resources they have,” said Stavisky. “Population growth in the area, especially in downtown Flushing, has stretched them too thin.”

Stavisky added that the neighborhoods “deserve the peace of mind that an increased police presence will provide.”

The 109th precinct has also reported five rapes this year through Oct. 2, up from 1 reported rape in the same period last year. Burglary is also up 125 percent this year, data show.

"This crime epidemic continues to be exacerbated by the loss of officers to adjacent jurisdictions from a precinct that is already spread to its operational limits,” said Rosenthal, who called the crime increase "alarming."

The lawmakers proposed building the new precinct at the police academy in College Point.

The 750,000-square-foot facility opened its doors in 2014 and consolidated the old Police Academy in Manhattan and existing training facilities throughout the city into one central location.