4 The Queens Courier • september 5, 2012 for breaking news visit www.queenscourier.com REWARD FOR CAPTURE OF FOREST PARK RAPIST A person was arrested, but police later said they had the wrong man. At the time, park security was increased following the incident and police presence was felt in the days after the attack. Police are still investigating and could not confirm a connection between the two sexual assaults. The recent attacks bring up ongoing safety issues in Forest Park, said Ed Wendell, president of the Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association, who cautioned residents to be vigilant inside the green space. He said people need to reconsider what is an isolated area. “Just because you can see Union Turnpike doesn’t mean people from Union Turnpike can see you,” he said. Wendell also said parkgoer safety can be improved with more patrols and better lighting. Large sections of Forest Park, he said, are pitch black, and he often sees early morning joggers carrying flashlights. Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS. If You’re Ready to Buy a Home,We are Ready to Help. The State of New York M ortgage Agency offers: Up to $15,000 Down Payment Assistance 1-800-382-HOME(4663) BY QUEENS COURIER STAF [email protected] The city and the NYPD are offering a $22,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of a man who they say tasered and pushed a woman to the ground before raping her in Forest Park. The attack happened around 4:30 p.m. on Monday, August 26, when the victim, a 69-year-old woman, was approached by the suspect while she was jogging in the park, police said. The victim was taken to Queens Hospital Center, where she was treated and released. Police describe the perpetrator as white, 30 to 40 years old, about 5 feet 10 inches, with light brown hair. He was wearing a black T-shirt, black sweat pants and is clean shaven. The NYPD has increased patrols in and around the park as cops look for the alleged rapist. In March, a 23-year-old woman was struck with a stun gun and then sexually assaulted in the park. for Housing www.sonyma.org Photo courtesy of NYPD This suspect is wanted for allegedly tasering then raping a woman in Forest Park on August 26. SPIKE IN CRIME MEANS PUSH FOR PARK SAFETY BY CRISTABELLE TUMOLA [email protected] The city may continue to report decreasing crime rates, but its park safety is up for question. Crime in city parks this spring was 44 percent higher compared to the same period last year, according to NYPD data. From April 1 to June 30, 128 crimes were reported in the 31 city parks for which the police department reports stats. During the same time in 2012 there were 89. It’s the largest jump since 2006, when a law was passed requiring the NYPD to provide the City Council with park crime statistics, said Councilmember Peter Vallone Jr., chair of the Council’s Public Safety Committee. “These stats are obviously cause for alarm,” he said. Flushing Meadows-Corona Park reported the most crimes of Queens parks, with 27 complaints, 12 more than the same time last year. These included 22 grand larcenies, two robberies, two felony assaults and one grand larceny/assault. It was the second most crime-ridden park in the city, following Central Park, which had 37 complaints. Six crimes were reported in Alley Pond Park and two in Forest Park during the same period. In the wake of the crime jump and a rape in Forest Park last week, the second time a female jogger was tasered and then sexually assaulted there this year, there have been calls for Forest and Flushing Meadows to have their own precincts. Central Park is the only city green space to have a dedicated NYPD precinct. Flushing Meadows, the fourth largest park in the city, at 898 acres, is slightly bigger than Central. Forest Park, the third largest green space in the borough after Alley Pond, is 544 acres. “These are public spaces and people should feel safe,” said Geoffrey Croft, president of NYC Park Advocates. The jump in crime, he said, is no doubt a result of the lack of dedicated officers assigned to the parks. The NYPD did not comment as of press time, but Police Commissioner Ray Kelly has reportedly stated that park crime has been consistently low and only accounts for a small percentage of overall city crime. Vallone wants to require the department to extend the crime reporting beyond 31 parks to every city park over one acre.
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