Enough With the Marauding Teenagers!
A couple of months ago as we were walking East on Greene Avenue between Waverly and Washington we noticed in our peripheral vision someone approaching fast from behind. When we spun around, it was a teenage boy, probably about 15 years old, who had crept up and was hovering inches from the back of our…
A couple of months ago as we were walking East on Greene Avenue between Waverly and Washington we noticed in our peripheral vision someone approaching fast from behind. When we spun around, it was a teenage boy, probably about 15 years old, who had crept up and was hovering inches from the back of our head mocking us provocatively to the clear delight of his jeering friends. Ever risk-averse, we quickly walked out into the middle of the street and starting dialing on our cell phone. With a few shouts, the pack continued down the block. We jogged back to a police car we had noticed parked back on Vanderbilt, told the cops what had happened and went home. The next day we heard that a woman had been mugged half an hour later a few blocks from there by a bunch of teenagers. We’ve heard of several similar instances in the area in recent weeks. And it’s not just Clinton Hill. A post on Brooklynian describes how a trio of teenage girls (19, 17 and 12) mugged five different people in Prospect Heights on Saturday night (and how only one of them decided to press charges) and an email we received yesterday told of a violent mugging of a twenty-something male by a group of boys at around 8:15 Monday night at Dekalb and South Oxford Street in Fort Greene (above). What can the community do to combat this activity? Obviously greater police presence would help, but given the paltry resources the NYPD devotes to this part of town, it’s going to take a lot of vigilance on the part of residents in terms of reporting even small incidents of harassment and pressing charges. And everyone should be aware that a lot of these muggings are happening during daylight hours, often between the end of school and dinner time, so it’s a good idea to minimize iPod and cell phone usage during those times. Please use this comment thread to document other similar incidents that you know about in recent months as well as to suggest ways to address the problem.
You can’t bring your dog with you everywhere.
I think that in most of these instances of “marauding teens” or whatever they are called, the teens have come from a different neighborhood and have found a new “playground” probably out of the eyes of their own neighborhood.
Where I live in Bed Stuy none of this would be tolerated and the neighbors would be all over these kids. Its a community thing.
If there is one thing most poor black kids are afraid of it is dogs. It’s a cultural thing. Get a nice Lab or Shepherd. Nobody will mess with you, and the dogs are great companions and quality of life enhancers.
“Brownstoner is King Asshat from OHIO and trying to get people killed by being “Pioneers” into the “wilderness”!”
I may not necesarily agree with him, but the What is a funny MF! Classic line.
You’re right 12:10…nobody ever messes with a crazy person!!!
How to stop teens who are influenced by the media and music from acting out in way that has been described as cool to them since they were children. Good Luck!
Most kids out on the prowl to beat people up or rob are doing to be more street or hood. There is little or nothing you can do to prevent this current generation from acting out on violence.
Gain an understanding of there motives and you will at least be in the mindset not to become a victim! Also promote the education of the younger generation and maybe you will create some sort of change.
For those bitching about victims not reporting these crime: if you read the threads on brooklynian you’ll find that people tried and were told by lazy cops (who didn’t want to write up another report) that it wasn’t needed since they had one from someone else.
For those saying people made themselves victims by listening to ipods or talking on phones: this is clearly not what happened in many of the incidents.
For those blaming the victims and arguing that these poor 15 year olds can’t help themselves because they are poverty stricken: you and these teens don’t know if the victims had less at 15 and have worked to get their phone, ipod, home.
The obnoxious, cursing, N-word shouting teens I see in groups on the streets are usually wearing jewelry, expensive sneakers, and labeled clothing. They have their own ipods and cell phones. They aren’t attacking people because they are poor and have no opportunities like those in some favela. They are lazier than the cops referenced above and use the claim of racism as an excuse for their lack of achievement. They don’t need a teen center. They need a lesson in how you get what you want and what you deserve. If their parents didn’t teach them this, then the police and the courts should.
The What isn’t afraid because, in his experience, even maurauding kids think a guy wearing a diaper and a suit of armor eating handfuls of Tang out of a bucket is pretty terrifying, and they tend to cross the street themselves.
I hate to admit it, but “The What” is mostly right. Keeping your awareness in the present is the best way to avoid these issues. Secondly, trying to “out street” these kids is not advisable except only in situations were flight is not available. It is time to face the fact that its open season on white people in certain areas. So how to deal? Number 1, get to know the people in your community. This can be done informally or by attending the local community board meetings at your local precinct, or even going to Church. Also, forming a community watch is a great idea. The point here is that grassroots, pro-active methods are far more effective than either retaliating or calling the cops. But it does force you to come out of your ivory tower. So there you have it. Get out and get involved or shut the fuck up and move to Inglewood.