Crime & Safety

Block In Clinton Hill Sees Spike In Burglaries

Historic district hit by four break-ins in a four-day period.

A neighborhood association warned residents this week about a rash of break-ins against homes in Clinton Hill's historic district — including a residence on Waverly Avenue that got hit twice in two days.

The first burglary took place on the evening of June 16, with the owner of the home returning to discover a second-floor window screen pulled down and the front door closed but unlocked, according to police. A laptop and other valuables were reportedly taken.

A second break-in was attempted at the same address a day later. 

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Those burglary attempts, as well as a report of a break-in around the corner on Gates Avenue and a foiled attempt nearby at Hollenback Gardens, prompted a warning this week from the WA-Greene Block Association.

"We are a close knit group and when something like this affects one of us indirectly it really affects all of us," said Darrell Oliver, president of the association that represents homeowners on Waverly and Washington avenues in Clinton Hill. 

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According to Compstat data for the 88th Precinct, 38 burglaries were reported this year through June 12, compared to 59 during the same period in 2010 — a 35.6 percent year-to-year decline.

Those figures do not include the recent spate of burglaries in Clinton Hill.

The latest incident on the block occurred on Monday at approximately 2:30 p.m. when a man was discovered scaling a fence surrounding the Hollenback Garden and jumping into a garden of an adjacent house. The suspect then fled.

According to the WA-Greene Block Association, police are looking for an African-American male in his 20s, with a thin build and blotches on his arms in connection with the burglaries. 


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