Another Mugging in Fort Greene
While it pales in comparison to some of the other crime that took place over the holidays, this one may be of local interest: On the day after Christmas a thirty-something couple was mugged on Adelphi Street off Dekalb Avenue. One of the two teens grabbed the man and told him to Give me what…
While it pales in comparison to some of the other crime that took place over the holidays, this one may be of local interest: On the day after Christmas a thirty-something couple was mugged on Adelphi Street off Dekalb Avenue. One of the two teens grabbed the man and told him to Give me what you have, reports The Brooklyn Paper. The couple coughed up $50 in cash and several credit and banking cards.
I don’t mind these kind of posts and I think people are being a bit harsh implying anything sinister here. People constantly say this blog is “supposed to be about real estate” but that’s like expecting sports talk radio to be only about sports all the time (listen to Colin Cowherd sometime). This blog, to me, is about life in gentrifying brownstone Brooklyn – if people think mugging posts are so wrong and out of bounds, how come they let restarant reviews pass unremarked upon?
Any restriction on what B. posts on his own blog, that’s censorship and politicaly correct B.S. and unamerican. If you don’t like it, find somewhere else to hone your precious witticisms.
Sorry to be harsh but this is his blog, we just visit it.
But this IS relatively new in terms of location, fsrg. At least as far as we knew, Ft Greene had seen relatively little in the way of violence and muggings for the last couple of years.
In recent months (and not all reported by Brownstoner): A cut up body in a bag on Washington Park, a series of unnerving and sometimes violent muggings on the streets and subways surrounding Ft. Greene, several murders, including one in which people were shot inside of a salon and a man was killed on its floor, while folks ducked for cover at nearby restaurants, a man having his jaw broken as he walked his son to school one morning…
Am I wrong or is there indeed an increase in brazen crime in the neighborhood? I don’t think it is an intentional induction of hysteria to report an increase.
“We certainly don’t see it as fear-mongering, just neighborhood news. ”
WWWWHHHHHHAAAAATTTTTTTTTTTT??????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
” Some of the local crime incidents we’ve reported on in the past have come directly from those who’ve been mugged and thought the public should be made aware. But if everyone feels so strongly about it we will avoid writing about this stuff going forward, except in extreme cases.”
Translation: The posters are putting my ass on blast and I will have to cut this crap out if this Blogs is going to survive 2009..
Brownstoner let me sell your Brownstone right now. I will charge you 4% commission and you can get enough money to move back to Youngstown OH….
The What (But.. But.. Not the face!!!!!)
Someday this war is gonna end…
Agree with stoep2conquer. I was puzzled by the reactions. I too appreciate the references, and do not think it is just a matter of “crime happens” in NYC. I think it is important to note it and important to think about it. I also found absolutely no reference to race in either Brownstoner’s post or in the link. It simply described them as young punks. how is this “race baiting”?
I found the violent mugging by three teenage GIRLS at the subway in Ft. Greene to be much more disturbing than the “gimme what you got” sneak mugging on the street. They even used a “can you tell me the time?” ruse to distract the woman they attacked. Pisses me off.
Brownstoner – it isnt the “reporting” of events – it is the editorializing of the events that people mostly object to; phrases such as “another mugging” – go far beyond just “reporting”.
And frankly unless the person who was victimized has something unusual or unique to say – (either because of new found insight or warning of pattern or location for example) – then in a way, such “reports” are editorial as well – since only a specific segment of the community gets a Brownstoner entry.
Crime is scary and feels out of our individual control; so it is prone to easily create fear and suspicion – if crime ACTUALLY increases (or changes patterns or locations) – sure report, editorialize etc…. but doing so on a random, arbitrary and contextual-less manner is a public DIS-service.
I am amazed at the vitriol in your reader’s comments to this simple and brief post. Seems like crime is a sensitive issue for Brooklyn property owners these days…
I for one, never read the various small newspapers. I can barely choke down the political clap-trap that the NY Times has become, much less smaller rags peddling low entertainment for the subway ride. So, I appreciate hearing about about the occasional crime in Ft. Greene, or other neighborhoods that may or may not be within the jurisdiction of the much-maligned 88th precinct.
It is curious to me the correlation between posts that refer to the 88th precinct and the ones who ‘found’ a reference to someone’s race, ethnicity, or class, for that matter, in what you wrote. Even the links did little more that identify the players by age, though the ‘punks’ reference was amusing. I imagined pale, waify kids with Doc Martens, blue hair and skinny jeans trying to act menacingly. Too funny.
Lastly, I want to encourage you to post the items that you think are relevant to your perceived audience. The people criticizing you here demonstrate very little respect for, or even familiarity with, reason.
Perhaps people in Ft. Greene/Clinton Hill should start a local Yahoo list or Google group to inform neighbors about crime and other quality of life problems (assuming that this hasn’t already been done). That would be more useful than something like Brownstoner, which goes to a far larger audience.
FWIW, in PLG we have our “Leffertswatch”Yahoo list which, fortunately, doesn’t get many posts, but is there when needed.
We certainly don’t see it as fear-mongering, just neighborhood news. Some of the local crime incidents we’ve reported on in the past have come directly from those who’ve been mugged and thought the public should be made aware. But if everyone feels so strongly about it we will avoid writing about this stuff going forward, except in extreme cases.
Brooklynfamily – “The language used in the Brooklyn Paper article was much more sensationalist.”
– You are so right – which is why the Brooklyn Paper and its “editor” Gersh Kuntzman is an embarrassment to Brooklyn.
(I guarantee that circulation of that rag is down huge compared to the pre-Gersh era – and despite what I am guessing is deep rationalization by Gersh Kuntzman that it is b/c of the internet – the truth is much is due to the outrageous writing and stupid commentary that litters that ‘paper’.