By JUSTIN MCCALLUM 

To curb major crime and increase community engagement, the 52nd Precinct is ushering in new reinforcements—the public.

Inspector Nilda Hofmann, commanding officer of the Five-Two, recently announced the formation of a local block watch association, intended for the community to “be the eyes and ears for the police department.”  But the program somewhat deviates from normal block associations, which often involve residents physically patrolling the area.  Instead, residents will undergo a NYPD-sponsored training session, learning how to properly report a crime.

Hofmann explained that the program is designed to make citizens more aware of their surroundings and give them the tools to effectively and accurately report crimes to a tip line. When calling the police, members of the anti-crime group will utilize a specially designated, anonymous ID number to tell police the caller is credible. “We hope that this program provides more credible information based on what our volunteers will be seeing and hearing in their respective neighborhoods,” Hofmann said.

But the inspector made it clear that no citizens are to endanger themselves by trying to stop crime, but only notify the police when they can do so safely. “At no point will the volunteers be instructed to take any police action,” she explained, adding “this program will have many of the same duties and responsibilities as a neighborhood watch.”

Space for all 50 spots filled quickly two weeks before the Feb. 22 training session, said Hofmann.  “We were expecting a good response based on positive output from community council meetings,” she wrote. “Though, I was truly impressed with the overwhelming positive response from the community.”

Crime in the 5-2
Major crime in the large precinct covering Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham, University Heights and Kingsbridge shot up 1.8 percent, according to NYPD CrimeStats.  Much of the uptick stemmed from the high murder rate recorded, doubling to 12 murders in 2013 from 6 in 2012.  

Shooting incidents dramatically increased by 63 percent, rising from 19 in 2012 to 31 in 2013, according to CrimeStat figures.  The incidents are loosely aligned with shooting victims, rising up to 35 in 2013 from 26 in 2012.

Hofmann arrived in November after the crime numbers sealed the Five-Two’s fate as a high crime precinct.  She acknowledged shootings to be a major problem in certain sectors of the Five-Two, though she hasn’t disclosed where the problem areas are concentrated.

Attempts to reverse the crime trends in the Five-Two appear to need more than its existing manpower.  Because of the spike, One Police Plaza (1PP) has deployed 44 new officers to canvass high crime areas as a way to knock down crime. Hofmann alluded to the block watch association assisting in further reduction

The Power of Crime Watch
This is not the first community watch in the area, however. Just a few miles east, the Morris Park Civic Association and North East Bronx Association have developed a legacy as effective crime fighting auxiliaries.  

Vincent Prezioso, president of the North East Bronx Association, explained how his community’s watch association is similar to Hofmann’s proposal. With vigilant eyes watching from homes and anonymous, better trusted tip lines, citizens can communicate with the NYPD. In particular, Prezioso spoke highly of the direct contact to the authorities.

“[The tip lines] became a great asset to us, because if community members saw something happen they’d call right away,” he said. “Because they knew the calls were real, it was much faster than directly calling 911.”

The Morris Park Civic Association also has a watch, with a legion of its 32 members patrolling nightly.  The association has served as the neighborhood sentinels for years, assisting the local 49th Precinct in deterring crime.  MPCA executive member Al D’Angelo attributes the safety of the neighborhood, one of the city’s safest, to frequent communication with the police. “We let the police know that we’re out. We have a pretty good decorum with them,” he said.

Norma Jean Scully, a lifelong Norwood resident and member of the Friends of Mosholu Parkland, remained cautious over the new block watch association. “I’d like to participate,” Scully said. “I know too many people in the neighborhood are creeps, but I don’t want them to know I’m involved with the police in any sort of way.”

Scully expressed concern over the neighborhood’s gun problem, but thought the program could have a positive impact on safety. “I’m all for it and it’s a good deterrent,” she said. “I only go out during the day to do my business, but I do feel safe here. If I didn’t feel safe, I wouldn’t live here.”

The 52nd Precinct has yet to set a date for a second training, awaiting allotment of resources by 1PP and a successful outcome of its first session, according to the 52nd Precinct community affairs office. For more information on the block watch association, Hofmann encourages all those interested to call the community affairs office at (718) 220-5847.

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Welcome to the Norwood News, a bi-weekly community newspaper that primarily serves the northwest Bronx communities of Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights. Through our Breaking Bronx blog, we focus on news and information for those neighborhoods, but aim to cover as much Bronx-related news as possible. Founded in 1988 by Mosholu Preservation Corporation, a not-for-profit affiliate of Montefiore Medical Center, the Norwood News began as a monthly and grew to a bi-weekly in 1994. In September 2003 the paper expanded to cover University Heights and now covers all the neighborhoods of Community District 7. The Norwood News exists to foster communication among citizens and organizations and to be a tool for neighborhood development efforts. The Norwood News runs the Bronx Youth Journalism Heard, a journalism training program for Bronx high school students. As you navigate this website, please let us know if you discover any glitches or if you have any suggestions. We’d love to hear from you. You can send e-mails to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org or call us anytime (718) 324-4998.