MENACING: Cabbie catches flak | A cabbie’s close encounter with a fellow driver nearly put him in contact with the business end of a sharp instrument. That’s the story he told to police, who arrested a 48-year-old male as a result of a traffic dispute that stopped just short of turning ugly (and bloody). According to the victim, the car/cab kerfuffle unfolded at around 7 p.m. on Fri., Sept. 22, at the northwest corner of Ninth Ave. and W. 37th St. During the dispute, the perp displayed a knife and threatened the cab driver. Police responded to the scene, saw the weapon, and took the totally testy “threatenee” into custody.
PETIT LARCENY: Out of control | We who work the crime beat pride ourselves on knowing a perp from a suspect and a suspicion from a conviction — but the details of this particular item had us going straight to Google. You, dear reader, might very well also benefit from the following primer: “A scissor lift is a portable, hydraulic-powered lift with a platform that can be raised into the air directly above the base.” Now that we have a working definition, here’s the crime behind the headline. The location: Inside of 500 W. 33rd St., a property in the emerging Hudson Yards neighborhood. A construction worker told police the theft of a Skyjack (that’s the brand name) scissor lift controller. According to the 56-year-old’s Wed., Sept. 20 report filed at Chelsea’s 10th Precinct, he put a lock on his lift before leaving work. Upon arrival to the next day, the victim discovered his lock and chain missing from the scissor lift — and the controller was gone. So, it seems, was $400, the value placed on the unit that pulled the strings on what our casual Google search so poetically described as “a portable, hydraulic-powered lift with a platform.” We said that at the beginning of this Blotter item, but it bears repeating, as that is often the way old dogs learn new things.
LOST PROPERTY / CRIMINAL MISCHIEF: Double Double car car trouble | The owner of a gray 2005 Hyundai told police that she parked her vehicle near the northeast corner of Ninth Ave. and W. 26th St. at around 11 p.m. on Mon., Sept. 18 — then settled in for the night. When she returned to the vehicle the following morning, she found the license plate was missing. Another driver, this one parking her car on the 400 block of W. 19th St., made a similarly stressful discovery. Having last seen her car in good, if not pristine, condition at around 7 p.m. on Wed., Sept. 20, she returned around 9 a.m. the following morning to find, according to police, “her car keyed from the beginning of the driver’s door to the rear tail light.” The damage was estimated at $1,200.
—Scott Stiffler
THE 10th PRECINCT: Located at 230 W. 20th St. (btw. Seventh & Eighth Aves.). Commander: Capt. Paul Lanot. Main number: 212-741-8211. Community Affairs: 212-741-8226. Crime Prevention: 212-741-8226. Domestic Violence: 212-741-8216. Youth Officer: 212-741-8211. Auxiliary Coordinator: 212-924-3377. Detective Squad: 212-741-8245. The Community Council meets on the last Wed. of the month, 7 p.m., at the 10th Precinct or other locations to be announced.
MIDTOWN SOUTH PRECINCT: Located at 357 W. 35th St. (btw. Eighth & Ninth Aves.). Inspector Russel J. Green, Commanding Officer. Call 212-239-9811. Community Affairs: 212-239-9846. Crime Prevention: 212-239-9846. Domestic Violence: 212-239-9863. Youth Officer: 212-239-9817. Auxiliary Coordinator: 212-239-9836. Detective Squad: 212-239-9856. The Community Council meets on the third Thurs. of the month, 7 p.m., at the New Yorker Hotel (481 Eighth Ave., btw. W. 34th & 35th Sts.). Visit midtownsouthcc.org.
THE 13th PRECINCT: Located at 230 E. 21st St. (btw. Second & Third Aves.). Deputy Inspector: Brendan Timoney. Call 212-477-7411. Community Affairs: 212-477-7427. Crime Prevention: 212-477-7427. Domestic Violence: 212-477-3863. Youth Officer: 212-477-7411. Auxiliary Coordinator: 212-477-4380. Detective Squad: 212-477-7444. The Community Council meets on the third Tues. of the month, 6:30 p.m., at the 13th Precinct.
CASH FOR GUNS | $100 cash will be given (no questions asked) for each handgun, assault weapon or sawed-off shotgun, up to a maximum payment of $300. Guns are accepted at any Police Precinct, PSA or Transit District.
