When Deputy Inspector Thomas Alps took over as commander of Norwood’s 52nd Precinct this past November, he had his work cut out for him.

Overall crime in the precinct covering Norwood, Bedford Park, Kingsbridge Heights, Fordham, and University Heights, was up 5.52 percent last year.

Murders, though comparatively lower in number to past history, were up 250 percent, with eight murders last year compared to two in 2017.

Broken down, two of the murders were domestic, with at least one involving what Alps said was a stepfather and son, and two domestic partners; four involved disputes, one narcotics and the eighth a high-publicity mistaken identity murder in which members of the local Trinitarios street gang shoved a young man into traffic.

Crime in five of the seven major categories – rape, felony assault, burglary, grand larceny and grand larceny auto – was also up. Robberies held steady, with 332 committed last year and in 2017.

On the bright side, there were fewer shooting victims, down from 21 in 2017 to 18 last year, a 14 percent drop.

Alps, who worked as a cop in the precinct from 2000 to 2005, said he sees his new assignment as a challenge. “I loved it as a cop here; I was active and I enjoyed policing. Ultimately, I’m going to answer for the crime situation here, and they’re going to hold me accountable for it. That’s what I signed up for. But it’s an honor that they entrusted me with this many cops and resources,” he said.

One of his prime targets with those cops and resources, he said, will be local street gangs, “a major issue in the precinct.”

Nine of last year’s 17 shooting incidents involved local gangs, as well as the alleged Trinitario murder of the young man in December.

Besides precinct cops and detectives, Alps said the NYPD’s Gang, Narcotics and Major Case units are also targeting the gangs, which include Trinitarios, Bloods and Crips.

Alps said he is particularly interested “where the opportunity exists” in building federal cases, which carry extensive prison sentences.

Police have said that with potential federal sentences of 20 years to life, any number of gang members in past takedowns have turned witness against their fellow gang members.

Also key in that effort will be the precinct’s Neighborhood Coordination officers (NCO), teams of two officers in each of the precinct’s local sectors – in effect, super beat cops. NCOs within each sector they cover have routinely scheduled quarterly Build-a-Block meetings, with residents airing out any crime concerns.

“They have the community’s ear,” said Alps. “Very proactive officers addressing all the local conditions going on in their sectors, whether it’s issues on Fordham Road or violence related to the gangs.”

Alps said he was also proud of the work the precinct’s regular officers have been doing, pointing to the precinct ranking first among the borough’s 12 precincts in gun recoveries last year.

“We have a lot of talented, proactive officers who are addressing the violence through gun arrests,” said Alps. “I’m proud of that.”