By Zoe Thomas
Brooklyn Daily Eagle

DUMBO — Crime may be largely down across the board – but one DUMBO building, 55 Washington St., has experienced six burglaries over the past two weekends, according to Capt. Mark DiPaolo of the 84th Precinct.

The high-rise building, owned by Two Trees Management, is mainly home to art studios and office space. The perpetrator seems to feel most comfortable on the weekends, and in one case he went so far as to cut through the wall of one particular property, said DiPaolo.

DiPaolo, speaking at the monthly 84th Precinct Community Council meeting at 45 Main St. on Tuesday night, told the community that police were working with building management to solve this crime spree and prevent others.

In an ironic twist, Leslie Lewis, the precinct community council president, gave out this month’s “Cop of the Month� award to Officers David Mills and Noah Molina for identifying and arresting another man for an earlier string of burglaries — also at 55 Washington St.

The two officers on May 7 responded to a tip about a strange man wandering the property. When they found him, they realized he matched a description from previous burglaries. Using video footage, they were able to arrest the man for several counts of burglary, petit larceny, trespassing and other charges.

Otherwise, community safety was the main topic at last nights meeting. Community members were reminded that July and August have higher rates of burglaries then other months. Police recommended such measures as maintaining light inside and outside the house, making sure to close windows when leaving the house, and getting solid doors and locks that can deter criminals from trying to break in. They were also told not to put air conditioners into their fire-escape windows, since these can be pushed in from the outside allowing criminals easy access to your home.

It was also mentioned that the 84th Precinct will doing free VIN (vehicle identification number) etching for cars in Concord Village this Saturday at 11 a.m. VIN etching can help police identify a car if it is stolen and bring can insurance rates down.

Overall, what was stressed at the meeting was the need for vigilance and community involvement. “Crime prevention starts with the community,� said DiPaolo

Simple steps like looking out your window when you hear a car alarm and reporting to the police any detail you remember about someone you saw leaving the scene of a crime could make a big difference in the number of arrests.

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