'Skywatch' Eyes Astoria Streets

Queens police officials are employing a new weapon in their battle to keep the streets of Astoria crime free.

Police at the 114th Precinct are keeping an eye on streets surrounding 35th Avenue and Crescent Street in a "Skywatch" tower as part of a crime deterrent program initiated by the NYPD in mid-2007, a spokesperson for Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said.

Officers working in a booth atop the 20-foot Skywatch tower have a line of vision that enables them to continually monitor conditions in a large area, the spokesperson said. The booth is equipped with digital cameras that record images 24 hours a day, even when the booth is not manned. If a crime occurs in the area when the booth is unmanned, police are able to review the digital images to assist in identifying and nabbing suspects.

The tower is also equipped with a high-powered spotlight that can be turned on a crime in progress, or on a condition spotted by the cops, day or night, the spokesperson said.

Police officials described Skywatch as a mounted tower that stands about two stories high. The tower raises and lowers on a ratchet-like arm that collapses when officers are ready to switch tours.

Officials said commanders at precincts throughout Queens and the city have requested installation of the Skywatch towers in neighborhoods that have experienced a spike in criminal activity.

Kelly applauded the success of the Skywatch program, describing it as a proven crime deterrent that gives the NYPD a way to "catch criminals redhanded and track them down where they live".- Liz Goff