Residents who live in the 52nd Precinct gathered Sunday at Our Lady of Refuge Church in Fordham to meet with police officers and demand more police presence in the area after a rash of violent crimes.

Police say the Fordham-Bedford area has seen four murders in just over two weeks. The most recent killing was of a young mother who was dismembered and left on the roof of a building. Residents told police officers at the forum that they need to patrol the area more often and respond to emergency calls quicker.

According to Deputy Inspector James Alles, the majority of the murders in the area were domestic, which means residents are not in danger of a murderer on the loose because the victims and suspects of the previous crimes knew each other.

In response to the community outcry for more police presence, the 275 officers of the 52nd Precinct say they will do what they can to ensure residents? safety. In addition, police say they will meet with residents in a similar forum setting every three weeks to discuss community safety.