Residents and business owners, We've had several robbery incidents in the area.  The perpetrators are two male blacks.  The victim of the latest robbery followed the perpetrators and observed them getting into a blue Civic with "FLA" as part of the license plate.  They fled toward Eliot Avenue.  Here are the incidents so far - a couple are repeats from my email last week but you need to see the connection.   

• 7/7/11, 4:00 am, Queens Blvd/65th, 2 male black perpetrators entered business, punched the worker in the face and stole $4,000.
• 7/12/11, 6:50 pm, Maurice/64th, 2 male black perpetrators entered business, punched worker in the face and stole cash.
• 7/16/11, 10:00 pm, 69th/Calamus, 2 male black perpetrators approached a 16-year old male, punched him in the face and stole his iphone.
• 7/25/11, about 11:00 pm, vicinity of 86th St/60th Ave (just outside the Comet area in Middle Village), two male black perpetrators punched a male in the face, stole his knapsack, iphone, etc. (I think this is near the footbridge from Elmhurst to Middle Village.)

If you see suspicious males lurking around - or driving around in a blue Civic with "FLA" as part of the license plate, call 911 immediately.  Tell the operator, "We've had several robberies in the area and these individuals (or car/license plate they are driving around in) matches the description.  Our precincts are aware of the conditon and will respond immediately.  Please pass this on to your friends and neighbors in the area.  These men are in a car so we don't know where they'll hit next!  Since all these incidents occurred near a precinct border it's likely the perpetrators will be in another precinct by the time 911 is called making it difficult to track them. On a positive note, south Elmhurst had no robberies but PO Rivera, Community Affairs at the 110th, will check to see if any robberies fit this pattern on the north side of Queens Blvd.  However, there are two incidents in Elmhurst that you need to be aware of.  One was a purse snatch (grand larceny) that occurred in the Woodhaven station on 7/7 at 3:35 pm. The other was a residential burglary that occurred in the vicinity of Seabury/57th Avenue on 7/8 through the rear of the house.  Please be alert to what is going on around you!

PO Youssef, Community Affairs from the 108th Precinct provided us with our crime stats for the past 28 days.  There's good and bad news.  Folks who live on the Maspeth/Woodside/Elmhurst border need to be aware.  I should have the stats for Maspeth and south Elmhurst by the beginning of next week.   0 murders; 0 rapes; 4 robberies; 1 felony assault (husband/wife); 1 car theft (GLA); 3 grand larcenies.  One incident was a bike that was chained on Calamus Ave/72nd St and was stolen on 6/26 at noontime.   Robberies

• Calamus Ave/69th St - on 7/16 a 16-year old male victim was punched in the face by 2 male black perpetrators at 10:00 pm. His iphone was stolen.
• 65th Place/Queens Blvd - on 7/5 a worker in a commercial establishment was punched in the face at 4:00 am and approx $4,000 was stolen.  Perpetrators were 2 male blacks.
• 69th St/49th Ave - a male Hispanic perpetrator attempted to rob the victim at 2:40 pm.
• 69th St/48th Ave - on 7/4 at 1:40 pm the victim left his keys in the car, came out and saw a male white perpetrator in vehicle - he tried to thwart the car theft by hanging on the side of the vehicle which caused injuries.

The commercial robbery aside, all 3 remaining robberies were crimes of opportunity.  Be alert to your surroundings and do not turn onto a side street if you think you're being followed.  Call 911 or go into a store.  And for heaven's sake don't leave your keys in your vehicle!  Please pass this along to your friends/family in the neighborhood.