Friday Links

I’ve noticed a guest has come in here urging someone to go to the media to get them to do an investigation on the 88th Precinct; I have to wonder why the guest who’s been urging someone else to go to the media isn’t going to the media him/herself?

Thank you 2AM for your response. There must be something we can do as a community to demand or draw attention to the fact that we are not being given sketches or details of the assailant.

It’s fine if a person has been positively identified, but for those of us new to the community (and wanting to contribute to the community’s safety and improvement, if we are the “eyes and ears” of the po-po, then we need info from the po-po. At least for myself, I don’t want to go on a vigilante justice rampade, but I would like to know if I happen across him and could be of help in notifying the police of a potential sighting. I feel like these sketches and bio details should be all over the place.

Simiarly to what you were saying, I feel like there should be public relations officers (not sleeper cars) active in the neighborhood.

I am relatively new here, although not new to urban violence. If in fact the police aren’t doing their job, there are city councilpersons (James seems wonderful) and other elected officials whom it sounds like we should band together and press for action, for more visibility…and ironnically, transparency.

Does anyone else have ideas of whom to contact besides Councilwoman James?

The shooter has been positively identified from a photo lineup, and we believe that is the only person being sought in the investigation. Today the precinct was asked by a Clifton resident to release the photo so we could see who they’re looking for. That resident was told the precinct couldn’t do that. Meanwhile, the 88th is camped on Clifton (it says 24/7) as apparently there’s some concern that the shooter isn’t far away and may return. There are unconfirmed reports that a witness living on the block may have been threatened, and that this may explain the police presence on the street.

With respect to 9:56’s question, it’s difficult to imagine how the 88th could be as ineffective as it’s been on Clifton between Grand and St. James for the past 30 years absent corruption. They know the players and the MO, and so do we, but very little changes, despite attempted cooperation on the part of block residents…those cooperating have been identified to the dealers on the street, both directly by police and through a grapevine that may or may not include civilian employees at the precinct reputed to be friends of some of the dealers. So going through traditional channels in attempts to address the problem has gotten us threatened and accomplished little.

As stated above, this precinct has a long history of treating complaints regarding this block with an apathy approaching slumber. As in, “They’re shouting and blasting music from SUVs and fighting and making noise past 1AM every night? It’s the summer…it’s Saturday night…that’s a quality of life complaint, shootings take priority.” “Gunshots? Anyone shot? No? Shootings take priority.” “We need to use your house as an observation post. No? You’re not cooperating.” “Guys hanging out on the street in front of that house all day and night, making noise and slapping hands with passersby and bouncing a basketball off your cars while they wait for the next hand slap? So what you’re saying is they’re loitering; you can’t prove it’s drug dealing, can you? Gunshots take priority.” Etc.

At 1:20 AM on Friday 7/20/07, six shots from an automatic were fired on the northern sidewalk in the middle of the block. Nobody was shot; at least ten pedestrians fled the scene before police arrived. A resident of this block has bullet holes in her car from another episode in which “nobody was shot.” Well, now we’ve got gunshots AND a murder. And it’s not the first time for that, either. So until they catch the shooter, maybe Clifton between Grand and St. James is now a “priority” for the 88th Precinct. And then it’ll go back to business as usual.

Let’s get serious: when you go to the 88th, you’re ushered into a little holding pen with a lot of other people you’ve never met, and asked PUBLICLY to state your business in front of them. When you call the 88th and attempt to give information involving guns and drugs at your personal risk, you are almost immediately asked to give a name and phone number. And if you do, we know what happens next…

Please spill the beans about this precinct. There are tons of journalists who troll these sites for story ideas. I know for a fact they are working on a story in the Times that developed in the comments of another topic within the past week. So please post anonymously with any solild info about the problems with the cops at the 88th. I have heard rumors through the years about lots of stuff. But if there are solid facts, or at least rumors with enough details that can be looked in to, then of course they can be followed up by credible journalists (which sometimes I think the NY Times has and sometimes I don’t.) I have seen these cops act like thugs at times. To me at times. I have heard horror stories from the young kids who live in the projects being harrassed when hanging out on the sidewalks near the projects. But that doesn’t = corruption. Let’s nail them if they really are corrupt. Personally I can’t see how some small time drug dealers could afford to pay off the cops to turn them entirely. Or even reasonably sized drug dealers? I mean there are a lot of cops you’d have to pay off to really make any headway wouldn’t you. But maybe they can be bought cheap? Or maybe there’s some other equation I just don’t understand?

12:54, I hear you. I’ve only lived here 10 years, but you nailed it. I think there are people who care, but the problem is mobilizing them. Please don’t pass the baton just yet.

And you are totally on the mark about the house tour folks—all pretty and no politics!

If you want to give it another go, count me in.