STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — The NYPD has deployed additional officers on Staten Island in response to the ongoing pattern of break-ins in the borough.
According to a social media post from the 120th Precinct, additional officers were brought in from other boroughs to Staten Island to assist with patrols over the weekend.
This increase in manpower is in response to a series of break-ins this month that are specifically targeting residences with high-end vehicles parked in the driveway.
The perpetrators have been nicknamed the “Crowbar Crew” by District Attorney Michael E. McMahon because of the tool’s prominence in the break-ins.
“The men and women of my office and the NYPD are committed to bringing members of the ‘Crowbar Crew’ to justice,” McMahon told the Advance/SILive.com in a statement.
“The deployment of additional officers to our shores should go a long way in apprehending and ultimately prosecuting these shameless criminals, and I commend Police Commissioner Tisch and Borough Commander Chief Eger for their efforts,” McMahon continued.
At a press conference on Thursday, borough officials warned that the crew has been prowling all parts of the Island in search of high-end luxury vehicles.
In response, the NYPD on Thursday said it had increased patrols to the affected areas, particularly during overnight hours. Additionally, law enforcement has increased the number of unmarked vehicles used by officers.
According to McMahon, there are about 10 crimes which have taken place recently that appear to fit this pattern. The crime spree that matches the pattern observed by law enforcement ranges from Feb. 1 through Feb. 9.
“This is a crew that carries a crowbar and uses it to try to wedge open a door or a window or a car window and try to gain access or egress into people’s homes,” the district attorney said.
The crime pattern from this “small group” has impacted the North Shore, Mid-Island and South Shore, McMahon told the Advance/SILive.com. He noted that the criminals tend to target areas with high-end vehicles parked in the driveway.
McMahon explained that not all of these crimes have been successful.
In the early morning hours of Feb. 1, a crew allegedly attempted to break into three homes in the neighborhoods of Todt Hill and Dongan Hills, according to the NYPD.
The crew was successful in gaining access to one residence in the vicinity of East Entry Road and The Plaza in Dongan Hills, according to a previous statement by the NYPD. There, the men took about $60 and a Range Rover key fob from a desk in the dining room before fleeing in the vehicle, the NYPD said.
The NYPD is seeking the public’s help in identifying three men sought for questioning in connection to the pattern.
Anyone with information regarding this burglary pattern is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or, in Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/, or on X @NYPDTips.
All calls are strictly confidential.