Crime
April 15, 2008
Double-Digit Increase in Clinton Hill Crime Rate
The Daily News reports that there's been a big jump in crimes in Clinton Hill so far this year, a rise that's partially being blamed on a lack of fresh blood at the local precinct. The NYPD has recorded a 24 percent increase in robberies and a 43 percent jump in car theft in Clinton Hill compared to this time last year. While four officers were scheduled to leave the 88th Precinct this year, the station got no new officers from the graduating Police Academy class; an NYPD source told the paper that new recruits are being assigned to cover the Atlantic Terminal Mall rather than joining the precinct. "You get the feeling that [the attacks are] brazen, and people don't think they will be caught," said one resident. "If you had police either in their cars or walking up and down the street, it wouldn't happen." Councilperson Letitia James says the rise in crimes is "very, very scary," and some residents are spearheading a letter-writing campaign to Police Commissioner Ray Kelly asking that the NYPD assign more officers to the neighborhood.
Clinton Hill Quaking in Crime Wave [NY Daily News]
Photo by jeffreywithtwof's.
February 6, 2008
Closing Bell: Slope-Heights Online Mugging Map
Although the 77th Precinct maintains a map detailing the locations of recent crimes, no such visual rendering is available online. Some folks on Brooklynian’s Prospect Heights message board are trying to change that. They’ve set up a map that allows anyone to report muggings or other violent incidents in the neighborhood, and they’ve also added data from published crime reports. Seems like a great community resource, though you have to wonder how many inaccurate or overblown reports are going to find their way into the mix. Nevertheless, neat stuff.
Mugging Map [Brooklynian]
Prospect/Crown Hts Mugging Map [GMAP]
December 28, 2007
City Assigning Newbie Cops to Crime-Ridden Areas
Starting tomorrow, the NYPD is stationing 645 rookie cops in Brooklyn neighborhoods—including Crown Heights, Bed-Stuy, Brownsville, Flatbush and East New York—where shootings and robberies have increased over the past year. The new officers will be assigned to the neighborhoods for six-month terms, according to an article in today’s Daily News. East New York had the highest number of murders of any neighborhood in the city last year (31); there was a 15 percent rise in burglaries in Crown Heights; deadly assaults in Brownsville increased by 27 percent; and the number of shooting victims in Bed-Stuy rose from 71 to 91. Some residents and politicians are questioning whether the stepped-up police force will only be “a temporary Band-Aid” or worse—completely ineffective. “We don't need more cops, we need more jobs, recreational centers and parks," said City Councilman Charles Barron. "You'll have a bunch of rookies out in East New York, most of them white, scared to death and standing on our street corners with no knowledge of our communities."
645 Rookie Cops to Hit High-Crime Streets [NY Daily News]
Photo by lesterhead.
June 20, 2007
Developer Charged With Bribery of DOB Inspector
Monday was a bad day for small-time developer Vauguens Michel. When a DOB inspector checking out a construction site of Michel's at 514 Maple Street noticed that another of his properties just five lots away had illegal excavation work going on, the 49-year-old Brooklyn resident offered $500 to try to convince the inspector not write him up. Rebuffed, Michel doubled down with an offer of $1,000. You see, sites with excavation deeper than five feet are required to have shoring and bracing. The hole at 504 Maple (at right) was between 12 and 14 feet deep. Michel may have been playing the game as he thought it was played, but this one backfired in his face. The inspector reported him immediately and the developer was arrested yesterday by the city's Department of Investigation on charges of Bribery in the Third Degree, a class D felony, and Rewarding Official Misconduct in the Second Degree, a class E felony. In all, he could be looking at up to seven years in the clinker. Do any readers have any anecdotes of inspector bribery they'd care to share? GMAP P*Shark
Photo by Nicholas Strini for Property Shark
June 18, 2007
Murder Up in North Brooklyn, Down in South
The number of murders in North Brooklyn spiked 34 percent in the first half of the year while just about every other comman center saw declines. There were 59 homicides in the Brooklyn North Command (which includes precincts 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, 83, 84, 88, 90, and 94) through June 10 this year, versus 44 in the same period in 2006 and 36 in 2005. The main cause? According to John Jay College's Richard Curtis, it's a rise in "disrespect shootings" by teens, which includes such death-worthy offenses as looking at someone's girlfriend the wrong way, as someone did around the corner from our house last year. Of course, all parts of North Brooklyn are not created equal. While murders in Bushwick's 83rd Precinct rose from 2 to 6 in the first half of 2007, Brooklyn Heights and Boerum Hill have none for the second year running. Street crime in those tony nabes has risen considerably though: Robbery is up 21 percent, assault 12 percent and grand larceny 4 percent this year. None of this is exactly news for real estate brokers to play up.
Surge in Slayings Shocks Brooklyn [NY Post]
February 7, 2007
Update on the Lefferts Hotel?
We spent a lot of time talking about the problem-ridden Lefferts Hotel last summer and we haven't heard much talk in the neighborhood since. According to one commenter In last week's discussion of the near-by Broken Angel, things have not improved:
The stipulation agreement entered into by the City and the Prince Hotel Group is killing the Lefferts Hotel; he can't make any money as a legitimate business concern. The place is dead and appears on the brink of shutting down. At the same time, property values are soaring all around the hotel and this section of Clinton Hill. If there was every a good time to get Mr. Fried to sell this beautiful building it is now.
What can other residents of Lefferts Place tell us about recent problems with the hotel? Why wouldn't the owner, Moses Fried, be dying to sell? He could make a lot of dough and free himself of numerous headaches.
More Details on the Broken Angel Project [Brownstoner] GMAP
More on Hotel Deal, Shooting on Downing [Brownstoner]
Lefferts Hotel Cuts Deal with Tish James [Brownstoner]
November 29, 2006
Senator Checks In On Clinton Hill Drug Trade
We just received a copy of Senator Velmanette Montgomery's letter to 88th Precint head John Cosgrove about the migration of the drug activity from Grand Avenue to Cambridge following the barricading of Grand this summer:
September 28, 2006
Deputy Inspector John Cosgrove
88th Precinct
298 Classon Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11205
Re: Illegal Drug Activity, Fulton Street, Washington/Classon Avenues
Dear Deputy Inspector John Cosgrove:
I am writing to you on behalf of my constituents who reside in and around the above area in my district. The complaints are about the selling of drugs and loitering.
I am requesting that something be done about the illegal drug selling in the above area, and the loitering in front of 134 and 132 Cambridge Place by people who are not residents of that block.
I would like to know what is being done about this problem and after the closing of Grand Avenue the investigation has not ventured in surrounding areas (sic). The illegal drug activity has moved to other places such as Downing Street and Cambridge Place. I am awaiting a response to this situation.
Thank you in advance for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Senator Velmanette Montgomery
18th Senate District
Granted this was written a couple of months ago, but as far as we can tell, the drug dealing has resumed on Grand Avenue again as well. Is it still happening on Cambridge and Downing too? Update: For Cosgrove's response, continue reading below.
Turning Up The Pressure on Grand and Putnam [Brownstoner]
Continue reading "Senator Checks In On Clinton Hill Drug Trade"
July 31, 2006
More on Hotel Deal, Shooting on Downing
The Daily News has a few more details on the deal the City cut with scumbag hotel operator Moses Fried last week. First of all, the owner of the Lefferts Hotel was only fined a token $2,500. As we reported last week, the deal will eliminate the hourly business as well as require the hotel to install video cameras in the lobby, hire security guards and post signs warning that prostitution is illegal. The police will also have the right to search the hotel without a warrant - excluding occupied rooms - for a year. Lastly, Fried must also bring the building up to code before reopening. "It's an excellent settlement for the City of New York," said NYPD lawyer Mohamed Quhshi. We shall see.
In other Clinton Hill news, two people were shot at 1 a.m. on Sunday at the corner of Gates and Downing--only a block from the police lock-down on Grand Avenue. A 21-year-old man named Terry McNichols was killed when a gunman fired several shots into a group of people on the corner; an unnamed woman was hit in the foot.
Sleaze Hotel Deal Suite for City [NY Times]
Man Shot on Downing and Gates [NY Times]
July 26, 2006
Lefferts Hotel Cuts Deal with Tish James
More news on the status of the Lefferts Hotel, which was recently shuttered after an undercover operation exposed the rampant drug and prostitution trade being conducted on the premises. In recent days, Council Member Letitia James has brokered an arrangement with the hotel owners, we have learned, that will keep the hotel closed until October 1st at which point it will re-open "under different circumstances." The only details we have are that it will be a run as a long-term, residential hotel not a "short-stay" one. In addition, the owners have agreed to have the premises monitored by security cameras 24-hours a day with regular patrols by the precinct. We're not sure how this sounds. Seems like the owners are getting off too easy to us, but it can be quite hard to make these charges stick and it may be that this was the best that could be achieved from the community's point of view. The only concern we have is that without substantial capital improvements who is going to want to stay there? Not exactly the kind of clientele residents are hoping for, we'd guess. And what about the egregious buildings violations? Are they being addressed as part of this deal? Tish James can be contacted at 718-260-9191 for more information.
Drugs and Ho's Bring Down Lefferts Hotel [Brooklyn Record] GMAP
July 13, 2006
Lefferts Hotel Hearing Postponed Til End of Month
The bus trip organized by Tish James (pictured) to Brooklyn Supreme Court was over before it started yesterday, as the Lefferts Hotel owners were able to postpone their appeal until July 27. Several people from the block and the area show to show their support for the permanent closure of the hotel. We'll keep you posted on the next hearing.
Roadtrip with Tish [Brownstoner]
Drugs and Ho's Bring Down Hotel [Brooklyn Record]