Monthly Crime Report: Crime Down Throughout Babylon

The First Precinct was a bit safer last month, according to the Suffolk County Police Department, which said February was a below average month for crime the area.

A total of 554 people were arrested during the month, police said at a community meeting held at West Babylon Public Library last Thursday evening. Most of the major crime categories – stolen vehicles, robberies, burglaries and shootings – saw lower than normal numbers as police suggested the cold might be keeping people from attempting crimes.

Babylon Village and West Babylon saw very low crime rates during the month, with the village pulling in one residential burglary and West Babylon seeing two, along with only one stolen vehicle.

Deer Park, however, stayed among the town's higher crime rates, with five stolen cars accounting for 31.25 percent of the entire precinct's total for February. The area also saw two robberies and five burglaries – four residential and one commercial. North Babylon, on the other side, had a very low month seeing only one commercial burglary.

Police reported seven shootings during the month, but that six of them were accidental, "wreckless" misfirings. The precinct did, however, seize six illegal handguns including one involved in a double shooting on Valentine's Day in Wyandanch.

Motor vehicle accidents remained a bit below the average with 490 crashes during the month. Sixty two people were injured in those accidents, however none were fatal. Twenty four DWI arrests were made during the month and 65 people were charged with leaving the scene of the accident.

Drug charges saw a spike during the month, with 110 marijuana-related arrests. Police said the number was an increase, but was not large by any means and did not seem to be a problem. Seventy people were charged during February with possessing a controlled substance.

The next community meeting will be at West Babylon Public Library on April 4 at 7 p.m. inside of the Children's Meeting Room.