Officers in the 45th Precinct have arrested 11 individuals for robbery since Saturday, December 11 in three separate incidents in Throggs Neck and Zerega. The quick responses and arrests in the wake of two robberies in the early morning hours of December 11 highlighted the aggressive stance the precinct’s commanding officer, Russell Green, brought with him to the precinct.
At 2:30 a.m., three men, all 19 years old, were arrested after a patrol car was flagged down at the corner of East Tremont and Lafayette avenues.
The men tried to rob a victim of his coat and cell phone. One of the suspects was subsequently picked out of a line-up for a robbery of another coat that occurred on Saturday, October 16 at Bruckner Boulevard and Calhoun Avenue.
About an hour earlier, officers responded to a 911 call at 1727 Zerega Avenue, near Westchester Avenue, and arrested three more men for attempted robbery. The trio approached a 25-year-old man and demanded his money, telling him they had a gun. The victim ran away, and after a search of the area, the suspects were apprehended. Councilman Jimmy Vacca said he believes that Green has set a tone calling for quick response to street crime.
“Under Captain Green, I feel that there is a renewed determination to address many quality-of-life crimes that too often lead to more serious crimes if they are not addressed right away,” Vacca said.
“I think that these arrests are indicative of the fact that the 45th Precinct is working to keep crime low. The arrests show that officers are often in places where they are least expected, but having them there makes the community safer.”
Four days later on Wednesday, December 15 at 6:30 p.m., five perpetrators whose ages ranged from 12 to 17, were arrested by undercover plain-clothes officers in front of 3602 E. Tremont Avenue. They allegedly jumped a 14-year-old and tried to take his cell phone. Once again, officers were on the scene immediately, Green said.
“So right there, you have 11 separate guys arrested on three different robberies in the 45th Precinct,” Green said.
Vacca said that he now believes in Green, who took over the command in August, the same way he believes in Captain Kevin Nicholson of the 49th Precinct.
He said that Green is much like Nicholson: an active leader who is familiar with the particulars of the precinct.
“I think when officers see that they have a captain who is so hands on, they go the extra mile to help him,” Vacca said.
“This has been long overdo in the 45th Precinct, so I am happy. People looking to commit crimes will look elsewhere when word gets out the 45th Precinct has strategies in place to combat crime.”
Throggs Neck Merchant Association president John Cerini said he is looking forward to meeting with Green to discuss crime prevention strategies at a forthcoming meeting with TNBA’s board.
