Hempstead Village touts drop in crime

Crime in Hempstead Village has declined by almost a quarter so far this year -- a reduction officials said is due to more officers policing the streets.

Overall crime in the village went down 22 percent between Jan. 1 and March 6, compared with the same period last year, Mayor Wayne J. Hall Sr. and Police Chief Joseph Wing announced at a news conference Thursday.

"We are happy with the results that we have so far," Hall said. "We are doing the best that we can."

Violent crimes -- which include murder, rape, robbery and assault -- decreased by 31 percent and property crime decreased by 17 percent, according to a village police department report.

"You are going to see crime in the Village of Hempstead come to a complete stop," said village Trustee Perry M. Pettus.

Hall and Wing credited the reduction in crime to the hiring of 25 officers within the past year -- and 10 other officers the year before that -- to replace retired officers and increase the police force to 126 officers.

"We think it is a good start for the year," Wing said. "I like to credit the police officers for the hard work they have been doing."

Most property crimes in the village involved criminals breaking into vacant or foreclosed homes to steal copper plumbing, said Wing, who was pleased his department was able to make headway in reducing those numbers.

"Sometimes when you attack the smaller issues, the bigger issues go away," Wing said.

Diego Lopez, 63, owner of Rainbow Unisex Beauty Salon, said he feels safer running a business in the village. He said his salon has not suffered a break-in in two years.

"I have seen more police officers," said Lopez, who has lived in Hempstead Village for 10 years. "Everything has really been a lot more tranquil."

But village resident Mary Hoffman, 62, said her perception, based on news reports, is crime has not decreased. "It's still the same thing to me," said Hoffman. "I don't think it went down."

Reginal Lucas, president of the Hempstead Coordinating Council of Civic Associations, did not dispute the police department's statistics but offered a different reason for the decline.

"A crime is not a crime unless it is reported," Lucas said. Nevertheless, he said grudgingly, "The streets are somewhat safer."