July 2, 2010 By Christian Murray
Deputy Inspector Thomas Kavanagh, the outgoing head of the 108th police precinct, reported at Tuesday night’s precinct meeting that crime dropped 9.6 percent in the past 28 days, compared to the same 28-day period one year ago.
This was Kavanagh’s last night giving the crime report, since he has been reassigned to the 115 precinct in Queens. He has been replaced by Captain Donald Powers, who was out on vacation.
Kavanagh reported the following numbers for the 28 day period: there were no murders; 2 rapes (up from the 1 incident reported for the same 28-day period a year ago); 4 robberies (down from 14 last year); 9 felony assaults (down from 14 last year); 18 burglaries (down from 23 last year); 31 grand larcenies (up from 28), and 19 grand larceny autos (up from 13).
One couple who had complained last month that many drunks were hanging outside Associated’s recycling program on 44th Street in Sunnyside, came down to the station to say that the problem had been rectified and wanted to thank the police for taking care of it.
But most of the evening was spent thanking Kavanagh for the work he had done at the precinct over the past 3 ½ years. He was presented with plaques from representatives of Assemblywoman Cathy Nolan and Councilman Van Bramer. Sunnyside artist Patricia Dorfman wrote a poem that, among other things, applauded him for “never talking down” to the community.