Dark Evenings + iPods + Kids = Theft
By Mary Frost
BROOKLYN HEIGHTS — Just in time for the dark evenings of autumn — and Halloween — the Brooklyn Heights Association (BHA) and the 84th Precinct are teaming up to offer advice to concerned parents of school-age kids.
Specialized officers from the 84th Precinct (which includes Brooklyn Heights, Boerum Hill, DUMBO, Vinegar Hill and the Farragut Houses) will speak with parents on Wednesday, Oct. 26 at 7 p.m. at St. Francis College, 180 Remsen St., Brooklyn Heights, in the main-floor cafeteria.
With long, dark nights, it’s easier for kids to get into jams walking home from school or riding the subway. Thefts of mobile phones, iPods and other electronic devices are epidemic, while cuts in after-school programs haven’t helped. Experts at the meeting will advise parents about how to be more effective in reporting incidents, and review all things you need to know when your children are out in the street unaccompanied by an adult.
According to New York City CompStat statistics, crime is up about 10 percent in the 84th Precinct this year so far, as compared to last year. Assault, burglary and grand larceny have increased substantially. (The numbers for murder and rape are so low in the 84th Precinct that minor increases or declines give the impression of major changes: murder has declined from 3 to 1, and rape is up from 1 to 3.)
“It happens, “ said Leslie Lewis, President of the 84th Precinct Community Council. “IPods and iPhones are a big thing. If you’re sitting near a door on the subway looking at your iPhone, people will loiter nearby, grab the phone and run out, and the door closes behind them.”
Attendees are encouraged to bring electronic devices (iPods, iPads, cell phones, etc.) for registration by the precinct. This enables their recovery in the event of theft.
This meeting was organized by the BHA in conjunction with neighborhood parents. According to the BHA, “If you are a parent of a child attending school in the neighborhood, we expect that you will learn something you don’t already know.”
The meeting will end at 8:30 p.m. For more information, call the BHA office at (718) 858-9193.
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