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Big Police Presence Follows 14 Sunnyside Burglaries

(Photo: SunnysidePost)

Jan. 3, 2014 By Christian Murray

The large police presence in Sunnyside in the past week comes in response to 14 burglaries that have occurred in the neighborhood since Thanksgiving Day.

The burglaries have taken place between 40th Street and 52nd Street on the north side of Queens Blvd, mainly during daylight hours.

Captain Brian Hennessy, commander of the 108 precinct, said Thursday that he had about 30 police officers stationed throughout the northern section of Sunnyside in response to the break-ins. He didn’t say how long the officers would be kept there.

Hennessy said that the burglaries have all taken place inside apartment buildings and that the criminals have mainly gained access through open windows by the fire escape. He said that residents should be diligent in keeping these windows closed.

Hennessy also said that the 108 precinct has a crime prevention unit, where a police officer (upon request) will be sent to a resident’s apartment to make sure it is secure from thieves. Residents who are interested in getting the aid of an officer should call the precinct.

Despite the uptick, residential burglaries actually declined across the precinct in 2013. The precinct– which covers Sunnyside, Woodside and Long Island City– reported 157 residential burglaries in 2013 vs. 184 in 2012.

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not a jvb fan anymore

ANONYMOUS-the bus is the B24 bus.
ANONYMOUS4EVER-the gargantuan Jehovah’s Witness center is a large church-we need it that big on the South side to pray that the crime on the north side gets under control. We need to pray a lot lately.
DREA-welcome to Sunnyside, home of the completely deluded north side snob club. It’s practically an east coast/west coast rap war in Sunnyside when it comes to the north side/south side.

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Drea

Hey! What’s with the great divide here? I’ve lived in (South) Sunnyside for almost 8 years (only about a block and a half from Noonan, never a single problem, by the way), and I claim this whole damn neighborhood as mine. I spend time on both sides of the boulevard. Both sides have their strengths to offer. Elitism toward either side just doesn’t make any sense. We’re not Soho, people. Never will be, no matter how expensive things get. This article is about burglaries in OUR neighborhood. I’m as disappointed to hear about it happening on the north side as I would if it happened a block away from me. Get it together, some of you sound awful.

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Anonymous 4-Ever

The south side is depressing. We have zero reason to go there. Empty store fronts, check cashing stores, White Castle, ABC Variety, a chicken restaurant on almost every block and the gargantuan Jehovas Witness Hall. Way to go!

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idontgetit

To all the “northside” defenders…I don’t understand how you continue to believe that the north side of the boulevard is somehow “better?” It seems based on the recent crime stats that your best days are long gone. Living in the past much? The south side-and our better crime stats-are where it’s at! We have one bus that goes straight to LIC for the E/M/G train, which ends at QB plaza, plus another that goes straight into Greenpoint, Brooklyn for all our hipster friends. Plus, the Q32 and the Q60 are only a few blocks away, as well as the 7 that we all enjoy. What’s not to love on the south side? Three major supermarkets within 3 blocks of each other, plus the standard Sunnyside walkability factor…I’m just not seeing this “north side is the right side” argument hold any merit. And I’m not sure if you’ve looked at the patrons of Lou Lodati park/volleyball team and handball court-they aren’t from EITHER side of the boulevard if you get me.
What do north siders always ignore their own dismal crime stats?

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Sunnyside Native

As a person who is born and raised here, all I can tell you is that there has ALWAYS been what was designated the ‘good side’ of the boulevard and the ‘bad side’ of the boulevard. This is not meant to insult or offend anybody. It was just a matter of fact. Even my friends from the south side would admit it which is why they would go to Torsney Park and Lou Lodati Park to play or hang out. We would hardly ever go to Noonan Park. Most people would go to Noonan Park to play in their handball courts, because the handball courts at Lou Lodati Park were always packed. The south side is less desirable. It is what it is…

On a separate note, everybody should have a gate on their fire escape window and if you don’t, you are ignorant and run the risk of getting burglarized. I remember in the early 80’s when the cops first advised people to invest in gates for the windows. The smart tenants listened. Get a gate or a security system.

BTW – the ‘Beverly Hills of Queens’ is Malba. Do your effing research…

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Krissi

SunnysideNorthIsSunnyside
January 4, 2014 • 12:55 pm
SunnysideNorthIsSunnyside, not sure how long you’ve been reading Sunnysidepost but I think you’re missing my point-the north side is not immune to problems.

Anyone else notice that SunnyideNorthIsSunnyside is replying to his own login?

I smell trolling at work!

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somebodyelse….

Our building had a wave of burglaries a year ago. The common denominator was the usage of the fire escape entrance from the top of the building. buglers were jumping from building to building – lowering themselves into the fire escape – into the apartment through the window and out the front door. Our solution was to raise a six foot hard fence between our adjacent building. the burglaries ended… knock on wood.

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southsidepride

One thing seems pretty clear…not the smartest bunch on the north side. Pretty pathetic when the po-po have to remind residents to close windows, which have become preferred point of entry for burglars.

My earlier post was an attempt to illustrate what tequilla mockingbird said so succinctly-this is still a working class neighborhood…what’s with all the delusions of grandeur? The “divide” between north side and south side is ludicrous. Unfortunately for the north side, the recent crime wave seems somewhat focused on your area. The south side has its problems too…I just find it amusing that some readers always talk up this side of sunnyside as if its some jewel of an area. For whatever reason, its experiencing a rather alarming crime problem. I hope the crime dissipates and we can all get back to enjoying where we live, no matter what side of the blvd you live on!

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zone drone

I saw 6 cop cars in a small area today. They have been outside a building on 45th b/w Skillman and 43rd Ave for a few days. I saw a bunch between 45th and 47th on Skillman. Closer to shift change, they were not around.

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Tequilla Mockingbird

@Anonymous 4-Ever

Nothing “prestigious” about the north side of Sunnyside.

It is as middle class a neighborhood as the south side but with a significantly higher crime rate and a handful of deluded people who think they belong to a “better class” and live in the Beverly Hills of Queens.

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Anonymous 4-Ever

Of course the north side is getting hit by burglaries. It is the nicer, more prestigious side. Nicer side, better class of people, who OWN nicer things to steal = burglaries.

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Patrick

I would have to agree.. Hipsters are nomadic and extremely arrogant and narcissistic. I can’t stand them..

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sunnysideposthatesme14

SunnysideNorthisSunnyside is an example of the moronic hipster mentality that has moved into my neighborhood. What an idiot…seriously. Guy comes to Sunnyside and because there’s a few Latinos who make less money than him they are to blame for the crimes and robberies.

I want everyone to see that THIS is what racism sounds like. These are the people who don’t hold the door for me coming into my own building that i’ve lived in for 35 years and don’t say good morning. no…I don’t have the problem, the problem is the attitude that these nomadic D-bags have come into Sunnyside with.

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the smile dog is so funny!

hennessy,isnt this the guy who gave us advice to stop the wheel theft off cars, leaving them on cinderblocks.

I believe he advised us to turn the wheels to the curb.

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SunnysideNorthIsSunnyside

SunnysideNorthIsSunnyside, not sure how long you’ve been reading Sunnysidepost but I think you’re missing my point-the north side is not immune to problems.

I believe the arsonist arrested over the summer was one of yours as well as the two drug addicts/alcoholics who were discovered dead on the apartment recently. And then there’s the Lou Rispoli murder that remains unsolved….I love the spin! “Sure we have problems on the north side, but our problems are caused by the those troublemakers from the south side!”

“Nothing redeeming about the (south side) neighborhood….”
Sure thing SunnysideNorthIsSunnyside.
Our lower crime statistics seem pretty redeeming to me!

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JOR

Some months ago there was a lot of fanfare about monies obtained by our local council representative for security cameras on Sunnyside streets. Whatever happened with this project? There’s a strong likelihood that most if not all the 14 crimes were committed by the same person(s). Since use of words relating to personal characteristics and housing status to aid the police in finding suspects is now illegal, photos/video of possible bad actors is essential to ending the crime wave.

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SunnysideNorthIsSunnyside

southsidepride, what are the odds that the burglars are from the south side of Sunnyside? I lived in Sunnyside for 18yrs and almost every fight I’ve been in was the result of kids from the south side of town crossing Queens Blvd to start problems. It would only make sense that, as the north side of town pulls even further away from the south side in terms of wealth, the thugs from the south side will increase their criminal activity targeting the north. Besides the commercial area between 46th-47th streets and the iconic arch, there’s nothing redeeming about the south side of the neighborhood.

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South Side Johnny

I hope this rash of burglaries and this increased police presence on the northside of town doesn’t affect homes values. Arson, burglary, hoarders, wheels being stolen- what next. I thought they were going to have a neighborhood watch?

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Helios

Why can’t we be told which buildings were hit by the burglaries? I find it hard to believe 14 fire escape windows were not locked by the residents of the apartments.

Since there are no fire escapes in the Gardens , they all had to be apartment buildings that were accessed through the roof most likely. Be careful about ringing the buzzer for people you don’t know. The only way to get to the roof is through the lobby door.

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" Sunnysider"

Maybe these building need security cameras as well.. to help catch these bad guy to start with.. the police presence will evenutally leave and the bad guys know that as well…. our town needs to be more careful with our doors and window and our home security as well… we need a town hall meeting as well…

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southsidepride

Curious to see the next round of “south side” bashing….isn’t it interesting that the “posh” north side always seems to have a pesky crime problem!!!

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Sarah

Feeling much safer nowadays given increased police presence in sunnyside. love it – watch out bad guys…boys in blue are after you!!!

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JaneGrissom

And what will happen when the police pull back from Sunnyside/Woodside which of course, they will do very soon?

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