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Major crimes down in Valley Stream

Downward trend continued in 2014, with less violent and property crimes

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The number of property crimes and violent crimes dropped in Valley Stream from 2013 to 2014, according to Nassau County Police Department statistics. Crimes in both categories have declined over the past five years, but only 2014 saw a decrease in both in the same year.

There were 346 reported property crimes, down from 418 in 2013. There were 74 reported violent crimes last year, 10 fewer than in 2013.

In 2014, there were 72 reported burglaries, 26 reported cases of grand larceny and 48 reported cases of stolen automobiles. In 2013, there were 105 burglaries, 26 cases of grand larceny and 50 cases of stolen automobiles.

There were no murders in 2014, down from 2 in 2013. Robberies also decreased, falling to 44 reported incidents from 63 in the previous year. There were two forcible rapes reported in both 2013 and 2014. The lone violent crime to see an increase was felony assault. There were 28 such cases in 2014, compared to 17 in 2013.

Deputy Inspector James Bartscherer, commander of the 5th Precinct, said that one reason for the increase in assaults is a rising number of incidents involving domestic violence. “Not a week goes by where one of the papers doesn’t have a story on an incident of domestic violence,” he said. “We’re seeing far more people calling us and reporting those instances, which causes that number to rise.”

Sgt. Vincent Garcia said that another explanation for the increase is the cyclical nature of crime statistics. “We see this fairly often,” he said. “As other crimes fall, one spikes up. As we hear of patterns or notice them, we’re shifting our focus, and other crimes can pop up. Sometimes it’s even one series of incidents committed by the same person or group. If that’s the case, there will be a jump in statistics, but once we catch them, that problem will subside.”

Garcia also said that one reason for the overall drop in major crimes is the department’s focus on responding to problems as they come up. He said that police keep a close eye on upticks in crime or any recent trends. After recognizing a pattern, they will quickly identify a solution and move to put it in place. While the department has always been focused on rectifying issues as they arise, he said, there is now an added emphasis on responding to problems as quickly as possible.

“Every month, the commanding officers of each precinct get together, they discuss what’s been going on and if they see any trends or patterns,” Garcia said, adding that a pattern is typically defined as three or more crimes within a month. “What we’re doing now is, if we see a rise in a certain type of crime, if all of a sudden we’re seeing a lot of burglaries or robberies, or whatever the crime is, we identify, and plan to stop it. We’re able to develop a solution to the specific problem we’re seeing and tailor it to what that problem needs, and usually it results in pretty quick arrests.”

Valley Stream Mayor Ed Fare said that he was glad for the decline, and thanked police for their hard work in keeping the streets of Valley Stream safe.

“They do a great job of really putting a presence in the area,” he said, noting that the department responded well to recent crime trends in the village. “If people see that presence out on the street, then they begin to learn that this is not an area where you want to come and commit crimes.”

Dealing with violence

Bartscherer addressed the six knifepoint robberies that occurred in and near Valley Stream earlier this year, crediting the department’s response for the lack of new incidents.

“We haven’t had an instance like that since April 7, so while we haven’t made an arrest and our investigation is ongoing, it seems like some of the other things we’ve done have worked,” he said. “It’s a great example of how we target an area of concern and target it. We increase our patrols, we put out information through our public information office and community groups, and we let people know that we’re aware of the issue and looking to find who is responsible. I don’t think it’s so much any one of those things that helps us stop trends, but a combination of all of those different tactics.”

At one of the Valley Stream businesses that the suspect hit, the owner, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of another robbery, said that just one employee was in the store when it was robbed. The thief brandished a knife and demanded money before fleeing on foot. The employee wasn’t hurt.

“I still feel safe,” the owner said. “I’ve been in business in this area a long time and this is the first time something like this, an armed robbery, has happened to us. We are doing some things differently, however. There’s no longer employees in the store alone.”

5th Precinct reopens

Police presence changed in Valley Stream in March when the 5th Precinct reopened after having been merged with the 4th Precinct for more than two years to cut costs.

4th Precinct officers patrolled the village, while the 5th Precinct building, on Dutch Broadway in Elmont, was transitioned into a community policing center that was lightly staffed and no longer processed arrests or handled administrative work.

Garcia said that the return of the 5th Precinct, which serves Elmont, Franklin Square, Garden City South, Lakeview, Lynbrook, Malverne, South Floral Park, Valley Stream and West Hempstead, should be expected to drive crime down even more.

“If you look at not just Valley Stream, but at Nassau County, or even if you look nationally, crime is on the way down,” he said. “This is obviously something we think can keep residents safer, and we expect and hope that crime continues to fall.”

Bartscherer agreed. He said that the opening of the precinct allows the department to “put a microscope” on local problems and to respond faster.

“With the new precinct, it allows us to take a really close look at the area, and I think it comforts people to know that the presence is in the area,” he explained. “We’ve been receiving very good feedback and have a very good relationship with many of the community groups and residents in the area, and that’s because we’re committed to making sure people know we are here to help.”

Fare said that while the 4th Precinct is actually closer to the Valley Stream boundary, he was glad to see the 5th Precinct reopen, emphasizing again the importance of police presence in deterring would-be criminals.

But he lamented the end of the Problem Oriented Policing, or POP, Unit, a program started before the precinct’s closure that will not be returning.

“Having the officers at schools, making relationships in our community, that makes a big difference,” he said. “That program will certainly be missed.”