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Kelly touts crime drop at LIC meet

By Dustin Brown

When Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly faced an audience at Queensbridge Houses last week, he armed himself with statistics showing a dramatic drop in crime and an impressive cadre of programs to keep it that way.

But concerned residents responded by shooting off a battery of questions about budget cuts, the Police Department’s anti-terrorism efforts and tactics used to fight crime in their neighborhood, one of the largest public housing projects in the nation.

Kelly, who was reappointed to lead the NYPD under Mayor Bloomberg this year after having held the post in the early 1990s, spoke at a May 28 public forum organized by U.S. Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-Jackson Heights) at the Jacob Riis Settlement House in Long Island City. Also in attendance were state Assemblywoman Cathy Nolan (D-Ridgewood) and City Councilman Eric Gioia (D-Woodside).

Kelly painted a bright picture with a host of promising crime statistics, most notably a nearly 70 percent drop in the area’s crime rate over the past nine years. Thus far this year the crime rate is down 6 percent from last year, when crime hit a record-breaking low, while in Queensbridge the level is 30 percent lower than last year.

But the rate of shootings has risen, and Kelly encouraged the few dozen members of his audience to take part in two NYPD programs launched within the past month to reduce the number of guns in the city. Those who turn in weapons of their own to the police can receive $100, while people who dial a hotline with a tip that leads to the arrest of someone carrying illegal firearms may be paid $1,000.

“We want to get guns off the street,” he said. “We want you to do what you can to help us.”

Kelly also brought up the department’s aggressive campaign against quality-of-life crimes, which he said can collectively “really impact on neighborhoods and impact on your life.” The NYPD is regularly monitoring 200 problem locations around the city, he said, a list that changes as police intervention improves conditions in spots.

But despite Kelly’s promising news, residents expressed concerns about the effect that a steep decline in the size of the force would have on the NYPD’s ability to continue fighting crime effectively, specifically in the units assigned to the housing developments.

Kelly said he hopes the hiring of new recruits this summer will bring the officer totals back up to 39,100, his goal being “to repopulate our uniformed commands that really are the backbone of the department.”

People also pointed out potential terrorist targets in their neighborhood like the Queensboro Bridge, the entrance to which is directly south of the Queensbridge Houses, and Keyspan’s Ravenswood power plant, which sits to the west of the development.

“I think we’re aware of the risks and dangers,” Kelly said. “But there are no guarantees. We’re doing what we can reasonably be expected to do to defend the city.”

Some residents also debated the tactics the NYPD uses to fight crime within their neighborhood, arguing over whether officers should approach people they encounter outside to ensure they are not engaging in any criminal activity.

Danny Ottley, 34, a Bronx resident who often visits his girlfriend at Queensbridge, said he understands the practice.

“You may not be doing anything, but the man in front of you . . . is doing something,” he said. “I have no problem producing ID. You can’t tell who’s doing what. It’s hard for them to differentiate who’s who.”

But Kenneth McEachern, 38, a Queensbridge resident who works as a security guard, said he is offended when approached by officers “if I’m there and I’m not doing any crime.”

Daniel Taylor, 46, a Queensbridge resident and social worker, said crime is directly tied to a lack of programs to keep youths occupied in the neighborhood and pleaded with Crowley to find funding for summer job programs.

“What are you doing about getting those youths busy?” he asked, adding that a criminal is “not always a bad person. It’s a person who has nothing to do and is looking for something to do.”

Howard Powell, 43, challenged his neighbors to do something to improve the area themselves.

“We don’t we take back our community?” he demanded. “What I really feel is that a lot of us are really afraid to stand up and sacrifice to get these kids off the street. Everybody’s complaining, but no one wants to take the initiative.”

Reach reporter Dustin Brown by e-mail at [email protected] or call 229-0300, Ext. 154.