8 AUGUST 2, 2018 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
Spike in mailbox fi shing hits Glendale: cops
BY RYAN KELLEY
RKELLEY@RIDGEWOODTIMES.COM
TWITTER @R_KELLEY6
A sudden spike in reports of
mailbox fi shing incidents in
Glendale recently prompted
local leaders to warn the community,
and even the mailboxes designed to
prevent fi shing aren’t safe.
On July 29, Councilman Robert Holden
released an advisory on his Facebook
page noting an “avid increase”
in mailbox fishing after receiving
information from the 104th Precinct.
In the advisory, Holden said that “even
the new retrofi tted mailboxes are still
being fi shed for mail.”
When asked for more details, Detective
Thomas Bell of the Community
Aff airs Unit said that the precinct
received 10 reports of mailbox fi shing
that are under investigation during
the most recent 28-day period. In addition,
there are fi ve reports of mailbox
fi shing from earlier in the year that
are being investigated in other jurisdictions
because they involved checks
that were cashed outside the precinct,
according to Bell.
Mailbox fi shing has been one of the
most talked about crimes in Queens
this year. The criminal practice
involves using a long tool or object
to reach down inside of public mailboxes
to retrieve valuable mail such
as checks, money orders or personal
information. Once a criminal has the
mail, identities can be stolen or checks
can be washed, rewritten and cashed
for large sums of money.
In April, the 104th Precinct Community
Council invited Postal Inspector
Dyllan O’Neill to speak at a meeting
and he said that all of the mailboxes in
front of post offi ces in the Flushing-area
ZIP codes had already been altered
in an attempt to prevent fi shing.
With the sudden re-emergence of
this crime in Glendale, the 104th Precinct
once again released the following
tips aimed at preventing mailbox
fi shing:
Drop mail containing checks inside
the post offi ce to ensure that your mail
is not stolen from a mailbox.
When writing checks, use permanent
ink that cannot be erased.
Check your account balance frequently
to ensure that the proper
amount is debited.
Pick up your incoming mail in your
mailbox as early and as frequently as
possible.
If you have to use a public mailbox,
drop off mail as close to the last collection
time as possible.
Avoid leaving outgoing mail in mailboxes
on Sundays or holidays when
mail carriers aren’t working.
Shred canceled or voided checks,
credit card statements and any other
Photo via Wikimedia Commons
mail which contains your personal
identifying information.
If you see anyone tampering with a
mailbox, report it immediately to 911.
For any further details and information,
residents are encouraged to call
the 104th Precinct Crime Prevention
Offi cers at 718-386-6223.
USPS mailboxes
National Night Out across Queens this Tuesday
BY EDUARDO ALFONZO
& ROBERT POZARYCKI
EDITORIAL@RIDGEWOODTIMES.COM
@RIDGEWOODTIMES
In their annual eff ort to build a stronger
bond with the communities they
serve, the NYPD will host “National
Night Out Against Crime” events
across Queens and the rest of New
York City this Tuesday night, Aug. 7.
The block party-style events include
fun events for the whole family,
including games, food, entertainment,
music and much more. Members of
each precinct will also be on hand to
greet residents in a show of support
and mutual cooperation.
The National Night Out Against
Crime, held every year on the fi rst
Tuesday of August, involves events in
thousands of communities across the
U.S. and Canada aimed at promoting
strong ties between police offi cers
and the communities they serve. The
NYPD coordinates the local National
Night Out events in cooperation with
the National Association of Town
Watch, the organization that founded
the event.
As noted, the National Night Out
events in Queens — scheduled to take
place rain or shine on Aug. 7 — are as
follows:
102ND PRECINCT (FOREST
PARK)
Come and interact with neighbors,
community members, and local
businesses at the 102nd Precinct’s
Night Out, which takes place from 5
to 9 p.m. at Forest Park’s Victory Field,
located at the corner of Woodhaven
Boulevard and Myrtle Avenue.
Activities will include giveaways,
refreshments, children activities and
much more.
104TH PRECINCT (MIDDLE
VILLAGE)
Join the 104th Precinct for an enjoyable
evening of community spirit and
entertainment from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at
Juniper Valley Park, located on 80th
Street between Juniper Boulevards
North and South in Middle Village.
Some of the fun activities include
dance classes, giveaways, rides, concert,
health screenings and refreshments.
106TH PRECINCT (SOUTH
OZONE PARK)
Join the 106th Precinct and city offi -
cials as they gather together to celebrate
National Night Out from 6 to 9 p.m. at Police
Offi cer Edward Byrne Park, located
on 135th Avenue near North Conduit
Avenue in South Ozone Park. There will
be games and activities for kids, and lots
of information on ways to work with the
NYPD to keep the neighborhood safe.
112TH PRECINCT (FOREST
HILLS)
Come to MacDonald Park and
see why the 112th Precinct’s Night
Out is special to many people. The
event takes place from 6 to 9 p.m.
in front of MacDonald Park, at the
corner of Queens and Yellowstone
boulevards. Join in for some activities
like children’s craft , DJ, performances
and a tennis club exercise.
File photo/RIDGEWOOD TIMES
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