After the shooting on Parkside last month, quite a few people on the Lefferts list expressed concerns about an uptick in crime. We've seen this all before: people demand more cops on the street, there's scattered talk about organizing a "citizen's watch," and after a couple of weeks things revert back to normal. The problem, as I see it, is that people keep focusing on the wrong solutions. Having cops on every block isn't the answer. Nor is expecting residents to regularly patrol the streets, vigilante-style. But there are a few things the average person can do that don't require transforming into a Chuck Norris character... and that's because one of the best ways to deter crime is to create an environment inhospitable to it. Changing the environment is both more efficient and more effective than relying on individual manpower. PERCEPTION IS REALITYA place that feels safer is likely to BE safer. That's because people are more likely to frequent areas that feel safe, and the presence of people helps makes them safe. Thus, one way to improve places is to eliminate things that make them look scary (boarded up store-fronts, broken windows, vandalism) and to encourage a human presence.
Left:
No lights on at home makes a street more foreboding and crime-friendly.
Right: Residential lights contribute a sense of "eyes on the street."
LIGHTINGA well-lit street is a safer one. If you notice a street light is out, call 311 and report it. Outdoor lights in front of private homes on residential blocks also helps. Even having lights on inside your place can make a difference on the block. Along some blocks in PLG, all lights are off in front of homes at night and window shades are drawn, conveying a sense that no one is home. If people can easily walk down your street and feel invisible, that's a ripe environment for crime.
LEAVE YOUR WINDOW SHADES OPENMany years ago, I lived in a rowhouse in Park Slope and one night while getting ready for bed I realized my curtains were up and that someone on the block behind us could conceivably see me naked. When I turned around to draw the curtain, my imagined paparazzi was no where in sight. There was, however, a middle-aged woman standing topless in front of her window putting her jammies on. I stopped worrying about open windows.
Continue reading "Reducing crime in Brooklyn neighborhoods: not as hard as you think" »
 According to local news site YourNabe.com, police are keeping tabs on two clusters of gangs responsible for a wave of crime in East Flatbush. East Flatbush runs to the south and east of PLG, but one of the gang clusters isn't all that far away; it's at Nostrand and Cortelyou. Apparently, a bunch of Crips and Bloods have been spotted around there, but that's about all we can glean from this article. So we'll have to save our lesson in how to spot a Crip or Blood (and stay the hell away from them) for a later date.
Last night, a memorial was held for Brian "Cosmik" Scott, the young man who was murdered in the Parkside Avenue Donut Shop. That link includes video of the NY1 story about the memorial, which was held by his fellow rollerbladers in a Lower East Side skate park. They were also collecting donations to help defray funeral expenses for the family. If anyone knows who to contact regarding donations, let us know and we'll post the information here. Mr. Scott was not, according to police, the intended target. I haven't read anywhere whether one of the other injured patrons was the intended target or if they were connected to Mr. Scott in any way. Police are still searching for the shooter. As we've written before, Cosmik was getting a reputation in the rollerblading scene. Below the fold are a tribute photo montage and a three videos of Cosmik shredding around town.
Continue reading "Memorial for Brian Scott Held Last Night" »
Thanks to Senator Eric Adams for sending this note in response to a previous comment on the blog. He's holding two community meetings to discuss the recent shootings. The first meeting is in Crown Heights tonight and the second will be at his office here in PLG on Tuesday. Details below. Several days ago our community suffered another homicide. It occurred on Prospect Place near Classon Avenue. One community resident voiced frustration by asking what Eric Adams intended to do about the increase in crime. Consider that question for a moment, and while you are reflecting, let me share a significant detail with you. The shooting took place only doors from my own home. I live on Prospect Place. In fact, I have resided there for about twenty years. When I first moved onto the block, few dared walk down it, and living there was a perilous option. However, a few of us resolved that we would not turn over our street to thugs. We organized, and we fought to take our community back. One clear lesson was learned: if we wanted to live on a safe block, we had to build a safe city.
Our communities do not have either real or imaginary demarcation lines, and criminals do not confine themselves to one geographic area. Thugs don’t care whom they harm or where they commit their crimes. I know this well because 22 years of my life were spent wearing a bulletproof vest, standing on street corners to protect our city from those who wanted to harm the decent people who make up its neighborhoods. I did this both as a cop and as a private citizen. Many are aware of the numerous volunteer hours that I have given and will continue to give to anti-violence measures.
If we want safe communities, we will have to build them, not blog them. No neighborhood can be safe if the only proffered solution is to look for a politician or the police to do it for us. Just as there are prerequisites for being a responsible elected official, there are also requirements for being a conscientious citizen. It takes teamwork to make a community safe. I know first hand, because I was a member of such a team in this neighborhood.
If you are interested in uniting with me in an effort to make our streets and homes safe, I ask you to attend an emergency meeting (see below for venue and time). There is no courage in staying at home and blogging about our complaints. Bravery involves facing down the thuggery that can destroy our community. I anticipate your partnership in making our district safe for raising children and families.
Best, Eric NYS Senator
Monday, October 19
7pm - 8:30pm
Hope City Empowerment Center
650 Washington Avenue (between Bergen & Dean Street)
Tuesday, October 20
7pm - 8:30pm District Office
(572 Flatbush Avenue near Midwood Street)
 Information is sparse but there was a drive-by shooting this morning in front of the new construction between 45 and 67 Hawthorne.
Someone fired roughly six shots into the passenger side window of a white Range Rover and drove off. There don't appear to be any fatalities but one victim limped to 31 Hawthorne where you can still see blood on the stairs. One witness said that he appeared to have been shot once near his buttocks and once in the foot. The street is closed to vehicular traffic for the investigation and the areas around the car and 31 have been cordoned off.
The New York Times reported yesterday that Michael Mineo, the man allegedly sodomized in the Prospect Park subway station during his arrest for pot possession, has sued the City and the officers involved for $220,000,000, apparently having decided that their original estimate of $200 million was too low. Since the incident occurred, three of the officers have been indicted by the Brooklyn District Attorney's office for their involvement. Officer Richard Kern was indicted for aggravated sexual abuse and assault - Mineo's DNA was allegedly found on his baton, while Officers Alex Cruz and Andrew Morales were charges with hindering prosecution and official misconduct for allegedly covering up the crime. According to the DA, the officer's criminal trial is going to begin in September. Officer Noel Jugraj - Officer Cruz's partner - was also named in the lawsuit but was not charged with any crime. I assume that he was sued so that he will testify against his colleagues in the civil trial as he did before the grand jury.
Loose Ends: I've been woefully negligent about blogging when there have been things to blog. Here, without further ado, are some of the things I've been meaning to post. 1) Billy Sunday's has been renamed Whiskey Sunday. It turns out that while it is ironic to name your barbecue joint / bar after a prohibitionist preacher, the irony wears thin when it turns out that he was also a racist. The Village Voice recently reviewed Whiskey Sunday and, while the author took the time to imply that bloggers like me were racists for wanting more than roti as a dining-out option, the review of the restaurant is mostly positive. In addition to the "shockingly good [albeit] shockingly inauthentic" chipotle-blueberry sauce, here are the reviewer's highlights: The best of the meaty bunch is the beef short rib. It's so big that it
looks like a femur, a one-pound behemoth with large-grained meat that
pulls off the bone in moist shreds and tastes richly bovine and faintly
of hickory smoke. The "well-peppered" pork belly is an oddly likable
thing: I expected it to come thickly cut and goopy with fat, as usual,
but this is more like well-done bacon (which it basically is, having
been smoked), very crispy and even a little bit tough, but
well-peppered as advertised—it would be great in a BLT.
2) The PLGNA Annual meeting is Friday, March 6 at 7:30PM at The Church of the Evangel (corner of Bedford and Hawthorne). The meeting will include the election for the Board of Directors. Minimum dues to be able to vote are $5. You can find the meeting flyer here (pdf). 3) A recent walk around the neighborhood reveals that Culpepper's is up and running again at what my rickety memory believes is the old location at Nostrand and Lincoln. If anyone can report on whether anything has changed, it would be most appreciated. 4) The last of the three men tried forcrimes in connection with the murder of Officer Russel Timoshenko was sentenced yesterday. Dexter Bostic, convicted of the aggravated murder of Timoshenko and attempted murder of his partner, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Codefendant Robert Ellis was acquitted of the top counts but convicted of weapons possession charges, resulting in a 15 year sentence. The last of the accused, Lee Woods, received a mistrial when a juror became sick during deliberations; his retrial began on Wednesday. 5) We earlier reported rumors that a Dunkin' Donuts was going to occupy the former space of Mike's International on Flatbush, south of Lincoln Road. It is true that a franchisee is opening a DD's in our neighborhood, but the location has changed. A "Coming Soon" banner now adorns a storefront on the East side of Flatbush south of Parkside Avenue, across from the Duane Reade. No idea when it will be open for business. 6) Last but not least, we reported that the Landmarks Preservation Commission was voting on whether to calendar the Ocean Avenue rowhouses for a hearing to grant the "Ocean by the Park" district landmarks designation but did not report the result. On February 10, the LPC voted unanimously to calendar a hearing, as reported by Bob Marvin in our comments section to that post. When that hearing will be, I do not know.
Robert Ellis, who was acquitted of murder charges in the death of Officer Russel Timoshenko and attempted murder in the shooting of Officer Herman Yan, was sentenced to 45 15 years in prison for weapons possession. He was convicted of three counts of weapons possession and given 15 year sentences for each conviction, with the terms to run consecutively concurrently.
UPDATE: Thanks to Jessica for the correction; NY1 has changed their story as well. This makes more sense, in light of the acquittals on the top counts in the indictment.
It has been a bad week for prosecuting cop killers. The Brooklyn DA was able to convict only one of the three men involved in the Timoshenko killing for murder (with the caveat that Lee Woods is likely to be retried) and Lilio Brancato was acquitted of felony murder in the shooting of Officer Daniel Enchategui during an attempted burglary in the Bronx. In response, Senator Adams said: "We cannot allow police officers to be shot in the street and not ensure that we receive justice for that. It sends the wrong message." Long a critic of the NYPD, particularly with regards to its treatment with the African-American community, Adams was himself an NYPD officer for 22 years, retiring as a Captain. Via Brooklyn Ron
The trial for Lee Woods, the last of the three defendants to go on trial for the murder of Officer Russel Timoshenko, was declared a mistrial today. A juror had been out for a long time during deliberations due to a health problem and was advised by her doctor that the deliberations were bad for her health. Because the jury had already begun its deliberations, she could not be replaced on the panel. His retrial will take place next year.
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