Theft and Drug Deals Discussed At Fifth Precinct Community Meeting

The December community meeting was well attended as residents from East Patchogue, Bohemia, Bellport and several from Blue Point were in attendance to discuss suspected drug use and drug dealing in their area.

It was announced that starting in January, the precinct's monthly community meetings will be held the second Wednesday of every month, and continue to begin at 7 p.m. at the precinct.

A Bohemia resident recently had a burglary in his home, and actually caught the perpetrators fleeing from the scene. There was some jewelry stolen, but no one was hurt. The shaken homeowner inquired about becoming more proactive and starting a neighborhood watch. Inspector Aristides Mojica, the commanding officer of the Fifth Precinct, officiated the meeting, and informed that the police offer written material, DVDs and one-on-one assistance to help a neighborhood watch get off the ground. "We will help you; we will work with you, but it's yours not ours," said Mojica.

The recent crime victim asked for increased late night surveillance in his secluded area. This prompted the inspector to say that information that comes from the public helps the police decide how best to deploy their resources, and what action to take in light of recent circumstances. He stressed the importance of maintaining open lines of communication. "You shouldn't ever assume the police know what's going on — that may well be the case — but, there's a lot going on everywhere," said Mojica. "If there are a group of people interested in forming something we do help. We do this on a regular basis."

During the meeting, several people who live on a dead end in Blue Point reported disturbing activity occurring in their neighborhood for the past four years. They said that they can't even let their kids play in the front yard of an otherwise secure location. "It's so blatantly obvious that there's drug dealing in our neighborhood. We have children. It only takes one bullet from a bad drug deal, and someone dies," said an alarmed parent. She added, "It's clear that it's big time heroin, it's not a little bit of marijuana — they're not selling dime bags."

A 40-year Blue Point resident said she's never experienced anything like this before.

Mojica explained that when something like this takes place, the faster it is brought to the attention of the police, the better. "When something starts percolating, as soon as it starts the best thing is to let us know," he said. "The sooner we start learning, the sooner we can get something done. The longer it goes on, probably, the harder it is for us to stop it." Residents afraid of retaliation are urged to call 911 and request anonymity.

Many in attendance reported that Maple Avenue in Blue Point has a stop sign which careless drivers habitually ignore. Mojica was aware of the issue and said it's the vicinity in the precinct for which they've written the most tickets. Middle Road and Gillette Avenue is the most problematic spot for traffic infractions.

According to the inspector, the single biggest category of complaint in the precinct is speeding and not heeding stop signs, especially when it comes to side streets. "Burglaries, robberies, drug deals: It all stinks, but one bad traffic incident can outweigh all of them because of the consequences," he said.

In Bellport, the last prolific burglary crew lockup was made in mid-October. As anticipated, with the cold weather some criminal activity has dissipated, while the task force continues to plug away. There was one confrontational burglary on Taylor Avenue the day before Thanksgiving which resulted in an injury.

An increase in reported purse snatchings in shopping centers throughout Suffolk County since Thanksgiving, according to the Fifth Precinct Community Newsletter issued Dec. 17. Two of these events have happened within the Fifth Precinct. The pattern involves the thief approaching either on foot or pulling along the victim in a motor vehicle. The suspect has been described variously as a light-skinned male, a Hispanic male or an African American male. The vehicle has been described as a dark sedan, a dark-colored Honda or a vehicle with a loud muffler.

The Fifth Precinct's January community meeting will take place on Jan. 12 at 7 p.m. at 125 Waverly Avenue, Patchogue.