One of the damaged vehicles (Photo: Mk Moore)
April 4, 2018 By Tara Law
Police have urged Kew Gardens residents not to leave their valuables in their car–after at least a dozen vehicles parked near Forest Park had their windows smashed early this week.
Police say that 12 car owners submitted reports on April 2 and 3 stating that their car windows had been smashed while parked along Metropolitan Ave and Park Lane South early this week. Two car owners also reported that belongings inside the cars were stolen.
Mk Moore, who lives on 116th Street, said that he was walking along Park Lane South with his dog shortly after 7 a.m. yesterday when he noticed shattered glass.
Moore counted 20 vehicles with smashed-in right front windows. He said glove compartments had been raided, and the owners’ belongings were strewn outside the cars.
“I’ve been here for 25 years, and I’ve never seen anything like this,” said Moore.
(Photo: Mk Moore)
Moore, who is the president of the Friends of Forest Park community group, said the area is dark at night and attracts criminals who can easily escape into the woods.
Moore said that his organization has called for crime prevention measures at the park for years, and that the incident should be a wakeup call for the neighborhood.
“We want to see cameras, improved lighting, and enhanced enforcement,” Moore said. “The area is changing, and not for the better.”
The day the incidents were reported, the 102nd precinct released a safety alert on Twitter asking the community to beware of car thefts and break-ins in the area.
The notice urged car owners to lock their cars and to refrain from leaving keys and other valuables in their vehicles.
3 Comments
I believe this is happening in Astoria as well. The last few days on 38th st and 36th st in between Astoria blvd and 30th ave, about every 10 feet there is shattered glass on the road.
If anyone is caught using salt bullets they will be taken to a pellet court. It is a serious problem and I had my car windows broken on KG Road but I needed to add some levity.
I’ve been a kew Gardens resident since 1997 and this has happened before along Park Lane South, my car was one that was hit a couple years back. This recent act of vandalism is not the first. Also Wednesday April 4, 2018 there were also broken car windows on 83rd Avenue between Beverly Rd and Abingdon Rd going in the direction towards Metropolitan Avenue. Sad to see this great neighborhood forgotten when it comes to safety. Cameras and more lighting would be a necessary improvement!