By Nathan Duke
Crime levels rose slightly in the 111th Precinct in 2008, although there were no homicides in the northeast Queens neighborhoods covered by the precinct and the number of rapes plummeted, according to police statistics.
There were no murders in the precinct last year following a single homicide in 2007, which had been the first reported in the low−crime precinct since 2004, police said. The precinct covers Bayside, Little Neck, Auburndale, Hollis Hills and part of Fresh Meadows.
The 111th also reported drops in the number of rapes, felony assaults and burglaries. But the number of grand larceny auto incidents rose and the number of robberies and grand larceny incidents each shot up more than 10 percent last year, police said.
Overall crime was up nearly 1.1 percent in the precinct last year, police said.
There was one homicide in the precinct in December 2007. Police found a 35−year−old Little Neck man beaten and stabbed to death in Admiral Park near the intersection of Little Neck Parkway and 42nd Avenue on the morning after Christmas Day.
But the precinct, which has only had one murder during the past four years, had no homicides in 2008, police said.
The number of rapes in the precinct dropped from eight incidents in 2007 to one in 2008, while the number of felony assaults dipped from 54 incidents in 2007 to 42 last year, police said. In addition, the number of burglaries fell from 317 incidents in 2007 to 284 in 2008, police said.
But the number of grand larceny auto incidents rose 5 percent in 2008, climbing from 154 incidents in 2007 to 162 last year, police said.
And the number of grand larceny incidents shot up 11.5 percent in 2008, while robberies rose 13.5 percent, police said.
The precinct reported a rise in grand larcenies, from 390 incidents in 2007 to 435 incidents in 2008, while the number of robberies went up from 81 incidents in 2007 to 92 last year, police said.
Overall crime dropped 3.2 percent in Queens this year, according to police statistics.
Reach reporter Nathan Duke by e−mail at nduke@timesledger.com or by phone at 718−229−0300, Ext. 156.
