State Senator Marty Golden held a community town hall meeting with police Thursday to discuss a crime spree sweeping through Bay Ridge in recent months.

Local resident Barbara Cona has been on edge ever since her neighbor's house was burglarized and several cars on her street were broken into. She says she no longer feels safe and frequently asks her husband to stay at home with her.

?My car was vandalized three or four times,? Cona says. ?It's out of control.?

Addressing the audience that gathered at the public forum, Golden emphasized the need to increase police presence in the area in order to effectively fight crime.

Deputy Inspector Eric Rodriguez, of the 68th police precinct, agreed that more police officers should be on the streets, but he explained that with a tight budget, the department doesn?t always have the manpower for foot patrols.

Sen. Golden has urged the community to cooperate with police in forming a block association and organizing their own foot patrols.