The Monthly Crime Bulletin: Assault Under Investigation; Crime Stats

Each month the Suffolk County Police Department holds a community meeting at the First Precinct during which police officials discuss criminal activity in the precinct’s coverage areas, and provide insight on current investigations, solved crimes and information on police-related programs.

Suffolk County Police are investigating an assault and attempted rape that occurred in Babylon Village in late December. Suffolk Police public information office said police are not releasing specific details citing the continuing investigation.

At the community meeting Wednesday night police said a female at a coffee/convenience food establishment, located near the Babylon train station, was assaulted mid-day when she left the counter area and was followed by an unknown assailant into a back room. The sexual attack was interrupted by the arrival of customers and the assailant then fled the scene.

During Wednesday night's meeting, attended by several civic and community group leaders, police shared crime statistics and insight on training programs. The audience was shown a training video on tools officers can use in specific situations when dealing with both physical and deadly force scenarios.

One of the tools  is a 'spit sock' hood which is put on individuals taken into custody  who attempt to spit at officers. It is used to protect officers against possible infectious diseases.

After the training film, police officials provided  criminal activity statistics of specific towns within the precinct.

The First Precinct made 300 driving while intoxicated arrests in the precinct area in 2010. Police encourage residents to call the precinct if they see a suspected drunk driver on the road.

Precinct officers issued  25,000 tickets ini 2010, and 5,300 arrests were made in the precinct in 2010.

There was a 5 percent drop in residential burglaries in the precinct in  2010, compared to 2009, as well as a decrease in robberies, from 263 in 2009 to 208 in 2010.

There were no reports of stolen cars or robberies in the Babylon Village area for December and the first week of January 2010.

The next police community meeting will be held Wednesday,  February 23, at 7 p.m. at the precinct.