Neighborhood Policing is Driving Down Crime in Sunset Park, Windsor Terrace and South Slope: NYPD

SUNSET PARK, BROOKLYN — Crime in the NYPD's 72nd Precinct has decreased 20 percent since the precinct began using community policing in April.

The statistic was offered at a public meeting Tuesday hosted by Captain Emmanuel Gonzalez, who commands the 72nd. The precinct patrols South Slope, Windsor Terrace and Sunset Park.

Earlier this year, major crimes in the precinct had collectively been up nearly 25 percent compared to the same time period last year, Gonzalez said.

However, the neighborhood policing program — in which Neighborhood Coordinating Officers, or NCOs, are dedicated to each of four quadrants within the 72nd — has produced closer police-community relations and more tips for officers to act on, Gonzalez said.

Through Sep. 4, major crimes were collectively up about 5 percent in the 72nd compared to the same period in 2016, according to official police statistics.

Burglary has decreased 32 percent so far this year, with 89 recorded incidents compared to 131 last year. However, felony assaults have increased (172 reported this year compared to 158 last year), as has grand larceny (310 incidents compared to 254 last year) and auto thefts (75 incidents vs. 65 during the same period in 2015).

Gonzalez said that some auto thefts have occurred when drivers exit their cars without taking the keys out of the ignition, a "crime of opportunity" that took place three times just this week.

He also said that the precinct's felony assaults are being "driven by domestic violence," adding that his officers are "doing a lot of outreach work" at churches, hospitals and other locations.

The precinct has also seen four murders this year, compared to none in 2015, including the April death of South Slope business owner Phil DelleGrazie, killed when a man attempted to steal his truck. Gonzalez did not speak about the precinct's other murders.

He stressed, however, that crime trends in the 72nd are headed in the right direction, adding that he "completely attributes that" to the precinct's NCO. The captain urged residents to continue reporting quality of life concerns to the city's 311 system, and to report issues to their NCOs directly.

Below is a list of the 72nd's four NCO precincts, followed by the officers assigned to each. The NCOs from Sector A will host a public meeting on Sep. 17 at 10:30 a.m. at M.S. 88, located at 544 7th Ave.

Image courtesy of the 72nd Precinct

Sector A

• Wilfredo Montes: 917-912-0960, wilfredo.montes@nypd.org
• Danny McGrath: 917-853-2601, daniel.mcgrath@nypd.org

Sector B

• Gary Bonavita, gary.bonavita@nypd.org
• Brian Cassidy, brian.cassidy@nypd.org

Sector C

• Carmela Andersen, 929-375-2344, carmela.andersen@nypd.org
• Philip Buonora, 929-371-7705, philip.buonora@nypd.org

Sector D

• Richard Fuentes, richard.fuentes@nypd.org
• Sue Liu, sue.liu@nypd.org

Pictured at top: Captain Emmanuel Gonzalez speaks on Tuesday. Photo by John V. Santore