Photo: QueensPost
Oct. 9, 2011 By Christian Murray
Burglars have targeted two Sunnyside apartment buildings on 40th Street–and the residents want answers.
Residents from the buildings turned out at the Police Precinct 108 meeting in Sunnyside last week claiming that their respective buildings have been broken into 8 to 10 times in recent months. They claim that when they call 911, the police have been slow to show up.
At 47-39 40th Street there have been 3 burglaries this year, according to police records; while at 47-25 40th Street, the adjacent building, there have been 7 burglaries/petit larcenies year to date.
Despite all these crimes, one resident, said: “I haven’t seen more police in the neighborhood…and it is really scary when you know an intruder has been inside your house.” Then, she said, “I see pictures [of potential perpetrators] and they all look like the same skinny guy with a hoodie over his face,” she added.
Powell said he would send out his crime prevention officers who would try to put in place a “clean hall program” where officers, with the building owner’s permission, are cleared to be able to walk throughout the building. Furthermore, they would evaluate the lighting at the back of the building, the positioning of the video cameras, and windows/entrances.
Powers said “They are not going to break into the hardest building on the block…” he said, adding that the police will help deter burglars.
Across the precinct (which covers Sunnyside, Woodside and Long Isalnd City) total crime was up 9 percent in September. There were no rapes or murders. Meanwhile, robberies dropped 45% and burglaries fell 13%. However, the number of grand larcenies more than doubled, accounting for much of the increase.
Year to date, crime is flat.
The police said that they arrested a man in September who had been snatching women’s iphones or cell phones across northern Queens while riding on his bicycle. The perpetrator confessed to 5 grand larcenies, three of which were in Woodside.
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11 Comments
dont remember the last time I saw any patrols in Sunnyside…foot patrols with some kind of frequency would be great !!!
police should really patrol these areas more.
the landlords should install security cameras all around the outside of building and on each floor.
Sorry to hear that Randall. If I may ask, was the point of entrance through the fire escape windows?
Pretty obvious that these two adjoining buildings have been targeted.
Good luck to the victims. It is very difficult to solve burglaries since they wear gloves and don’t live fingerprints and, of course, once you apprehend somebody and read them their rights, they stay silent. I am writing as a crime victim.
A few years ago I noticed police on foot and bike in the neighborhood and thought, “How unusual. What happened?” Then they were gone after a couple of months. Be nice if they came back.
the distance from the precinct in LIC – just blocks from the waterfront – to Sunnyside is a major problem. As mentioned, we get zero patrol.
I would like to hear more about this issue of response time tho, as no patrols aside, I expect a 911 call for a burglary would get officers to the scene within 5 minutes.
great job by sunnyside post to get this important info out to residents. the papers – daily citywide and weekly borough – sadly don’t cover the neighborhood adequately.
It’s true – I can’t remember the last time I saw a cop in the neighborhood.
I rarely see any police cars patrol sunnyside, unless of course traffic officer rushing to write a ticket.
I live a sort distance from of the buildings. I am scared that one of these bad people I am going to have breakfast with on Monday. What can we do about these break in a robberies.