Good news for Great Neck! For the past six months the crime rate for the Great Neck peninsula has been way down. Home burglaries and car thefts show relatively low numbers, especially compared to last year. Nassau County Police Department’s Third Precinct Deputy Inspector Thomas Corona told the Great Neck Record that the past six months have shown “a very, very different pattern.”
Corona reported no robbery issues these past months, just a few auto larcenies and a real halt in burglaries. He told the Record that last year Lake Success had led the list with burglaries, many stemming from crime suspects in Queens and in neighboring Nassau County areas such as Albertson and New Hyde Park. Lake Success police agreed, with Lt. Mark Staniszewski stating that a number of burglaries last year that had occurred throughout the community, even as far north as the Village of Great Neck, were stemmed once the Lake Success police arrested a woman who allegedly led the crime outbreaks. “This was a significant arrest,” he told the Record.
Corona told the
Record that “not much” had happened in the Village of Kensington. Kensington police did not respond to the Record’s requests for information. However, Corona said that the Third Precinct is “in touch a lot” with the Village of Kings Point police and, at this time, he could see “nothing of real concern.” Kings Point Police Commissioner John Miller also reported a “quiet” period in his village, with no burglaries and very few car thefts. However, Miller did note that car thefts involving Range Rovers have “been big on the North Shore.”
Officially, Miller reported the following in Kings Point over the past six months: three auto grand larcenies (two of these vehicles were recovered in New Jersey), one petite larceny (less than $1,000 stolen; it was a delivery package), three cases of trespassing, one identity theft, one case of aggravated harassment. Again, he emphasized “no burglaries.” The NCPD stressed Kings Point police cameras at all points of entrance/exit to the village have been a major help. “They keep an eye on people who come and go in their village,” he said.
In Great Neck Estates, Sgt. Rick Marino told the story of a similarly quiet recent period. “It’s been quiet the last several months…no burglary problems,” he said.
Deterrents noted by county police involve actions residents can take: keep car doors locked and put valuables left in car locked in the car trunk, keep lights on the outside of your home lit all night, use inside dimmer lights when you are away from your home and keep your house alarm on at all times, whether you are home or away. Police also advise residents to be extremely wary of “phone scams” where people are phoned and told to send money to help a relative in distress; don’t give out your credit card information and do not buy a green dot card. Police also warn residents not to allow anyone in their home without proper identification from a utility.
Third Police Precinct Deputy Inspector Corona offered some safety tips for the public. He said that having police officers drive around their “beat” neighborhoods is definitely a deterrent to crime.
Commenting on the recent national and local New York issue of hate crimes against police officers, Corona reported there is “no issue” in Great Neck, nor on Long Island’s North Shore. “We’re being safe, we back-up each other,” he said.
