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.
6:19–I have seen lots of disgusting posts on this blog over the past few months but yours takes the cake.
A few weeks ago three kids tried to rob me in Ft. Greene Park… in the middle of the day. I saw it coming and said, basically, f*ck you, bring it on, which was probably a mistake. Instead of exiting the park like I should, I challenged them. (Admittedly, I’m 6’3″, 230 lbs) When push came to shove I decided not to fight, rather to leave the situation. Silly me. But I kept my digicam, tools, money, ID, credit cards, and so on.
I hadn’t planned to call the cops as no words were exchanged and no weapons displayed but when I left the park I realized the scenario was to attack me from behind, and as that violated my sense of street ethics (give me the choice man to man to fight or give it up) I decided to call the cops.
I was impressed at the speed of the police response; they were on South Elliott and DeKalb before I was half a block away. They grabbed all three of them still in the park. When I met with the cops, who picked me up to ID them, they said whenever this happens they just drive to the PJ side of the park and round them up, as that’s where they live.
I don’t know what ultimately happened to them but they were running warrant checks on them. If there were no warrants they would have been free to go. But the cops also told me they would enter their names in some database and pay attention to them (Guiliani fans note, ComStat and the police new-found ability to use computers was a big reason for the reduction in crime).
To those who say Hispanics don’t rob anyone, I made two of three of them as Dominican, but hey, not all of y’all can tell the difference.
I grew up in West Harlem in the 1960s so I’ve been around a while, and I agree with the posters that say attitude and keeping the eyes open will go a long way. But it won’t go all the way.
Funny thing is I carry a legal quick-opening knife with a 4″ blade everywhere all the time, but this was a one of very few days I had to go in a Federal building, so I left it home. Pulling a weapon will definitely make things interesting, but not necessarily against you. There is the chance you will lose control of it, but also the chance they will move on to an easier mark. And of course you have the option of not pulling it.
Lotta people here have opinions as to what to do, but there is no one size fits all. Every situation has to be analyzed and acted upon as it occurs. The more time you have to analyze, the more time you have to make the correct decision. Keep your eyes open, don’t let anyone get the element of surprise. I have an Ipod like everyone but I never carry it on the street, I use it to carry music from home to car to my country home. The one thing I don’t ever believe in is to just give it up. Giving it up is still no guarantee you won’t get hurt.
If everyone just gives it up especially to a coupla ten year old girls all that does is show them how easy white fools are and encourage them to do it again. Robbery begins with an R as does Risk. Take the Risk outta Robbery and we’re all in trouble.
In the last 35 years I’ve lived here (my entire adult life) this was only the third attempt against me. In the other two I was aware, and when I made it clear I wouldn’t just give it up, they moved on. One time was on the exit from the BB, another on 6th ave and Flatbush. Yet another time three kids on Pierrepont followed me expecting me to turn onto Monroe. I did a 180 and walked right thru the three of them. Do the unexpected.
I hear the woman who said she is 5’1″. Fighting is not an option, but if you see things in time, running is. If I was that size I could fly like the wind, lol.
As to the ijits who say the answer is to work with the kids, that’s fine and dandy, but the kids you work with may not be the ones to kill you. I seem to remember a Hunter College grad student who dedicated her life to social work, who was stabbed to death on the street in PH a few years ago. I’ve made it a point to hire ex-offenders in my biz, and I think over the years we’ve got along fine. Don’t mean they won’t kill some other person, or their friends won’t kill me.
It is what it is, and if you’re gonna live in the hood, you’re gonna be at some risk. Racism isn’t what it used to be, and as Mr. Mfume said not too long ago, today’s problem is not racism but white privilege. While these kids may not be able to define white privilege as being able to confidently enter your local pharmacy and buy a band-aid that matches your skin color, they get the general gist of things.
“It’s like a jungle sometimes it makes me wonder how I keep from going under ”
Be safe.
Saw a bunch of kids out of control yesterday at Smith & Warren. Were jumping on the roofs of parked cars and blocking traffic in the street.
I live on the boarder of this quagmire clintonhill / bed-stuy neighborhood and I don’t think that there is anything normal about this sort of behavior. I’m a female, 22 year old photographer priced out of park slope and the burg. I’m not from new york (i’m from san francisco) and i really love this neighborhood and I think that those moving in should give back and not live in fear of a bunch of dumb kids….that being said many muggings take place all over this city by groups of teens (i’m hard pressed to believe that clilnton hill is some sort of out of this world unique place) – and it’s a problem!!!!! not something we should just LIVE WITH or move out of…what’s the problem with making the hood a bit better????
Tear down the f’in projects. Force these poor black kids to actually PAY to live in NYC like the rest of us, or they can scatter across the country and die out.
Amazing how POOR people of every race can still manage to function in society except for the blacks. But I guess they don’t need to when white liberals will stand up and defend every crime they perpetuate.
You know what would help? Bringing back racial profiling. Five 15 and 16 year old black kids wandering around in a gang during school hours MAYBE, MAYBE should draw some police attention.
Call the cops, the response time in Williamsburg is great. I will like to add my neighbor who’s lived in the burg forever loves the new influx of people, and the building of condos in what was once empty lots and run down buildings. Yes we all can live together. It’s great that an influx of money has been brought to once very poor hoods. And no all the folk that were here before the influx are staying, there rent stablized apts are going no where. Its a shame to see some the smug remarks about people getting hurt. There is no excuse for violence… White guilt is self centered.It’s no wonder the socialist way of life hasn’t taken off in the states because it’s presented with hate, and anger. Say hello to your neighbors (brown, black, or white), offer them helping hand and your friendship.
WOW…I was just on the A train on my way home and all of a sudden a group of black teenage yootz get on and want me to cough up $1.00 for this white trash candy: Peanut M&Ms, Oreos or Starburst. I didn’t know whether to fall on the floor, yell or try some kung foo kick.
I don’t like any of those candies so I held my ground and now I feel better for it.
Al didnt spin it. He always rallied against police brutality. The press spun it around to a white and black thing so sheep like you will say Al did it.