Greetings to all members of the Juniper Park Civic Association, we hope everyone is staying safe and warm as we make our way through the very chilly beginning of 2026.
The 104th Precinct ended 2025 with an overall decrease in index crimes totaling 3.7%. We notably saw decreases of over 20% in burglaries and robberies throughout the entirety of the precinct. While we understand that precinct parking conditions continue to be an issue for our residents, we are proud to declare that in 2025, our Rotation Tow Officer, PO Lamicella, towed over 946 illegally parked and derelict vehicles from our streets! PO Lamicella is on the road to beat his record, as he has already towed over 75 vehicles for 2026 alone! All throughout 2025, your 104th Precinct Police Officers were dedicated to resolving both crime related and quality of life concerns.
We have continued to see increases in Grand Larceny throughout Maspeth and Middle Village. These increases can be attributed to check fraud and identity theft. Preventing mail fraud and identity theft requires a combination of physical security and digital vigilance. To safeguard physical mail, we recommend never leaving it in a mailbox overnight and always delivering mail directly into a local USPS Post Office. When disposing of sensitive documents, always use a cross-cut shredder to destroy bank statements, pre-approved credit offers, and documents containing sensitive information. Finally, make sure to set up real-time banking alerts with your banking applications to maintain awareness of the activity on business and personal accounts.
There has been a rise in theft regarding vehicles and vehicle parts in Middle Village and Maspeth, which is synonymous with the trend that we have seen throughout the precinct. Remember to always secure your keys
and, if possible, place your keys into anti-theft pouches, which stop criminals from amplifying key fob signals to unlock vehicles.
Late model Honda CRVs and Toyota Highlanders have been most frequently targeted by thieves. Most thieves are looking for the easiest possible target, so it is imperative that vehicle owners employ visible barriers to deter theft. We strongly urge the use of steering wheel locks and brake pedal locks. For those looking for a further layer of protection, we encourage the use of vehicle anti-theft switch systems, which are effective against key cloning, relay attacks, and simple theft attempts.
Community involvement and community policing are essential to public safety. Please share this message with your friends and neighbors. We look forward to seeing everyone at the next Juniper Park Civic Association meeting. Please don’t hesitate to contact the 104th Precinct Community Affairs office with any questions or concerns.
