Murder on Putnam: Will The Cops Show Up Now?
Long one of the biggest drug spots in the borough, the corner of Putnam and Grand has remained a big problem even as the values of the surrounding brownstones have tripled over the past 5 or 6 years. Living in the area for the past year, we’ve been amazed at the almost complete lack of…
Long one of the biggest drug spots in the borough, the corner of Putnam and Grand has remained a big problem even as the values of the surrounding brownstones have tripled over the past 5 or 6 years. Living in the area for the past year, we’ve been amazed at the almost complete lack of police presence on the block. So it was not a huge surprise when we heard 10 or 12 gun shots at around 7 pm on Monday. Turns out that one of the frequent dice games which the drug dealers and their hangers-on play on the corner had gone bad. Three people were shot and two of them killed in the incident. We gather that two of them were from the immediate neighborhood and one from a little further out in Bed Stuy. We can only assume that the lone candle on the sidewalk is for one of them. We’ve been unable to find any mention in any of the local papers about the shootings.
When called about the incident, Letitia James has given her stump-speech line about how there are undercover cops on that corner all the time and that they’re on the case. Right. How about a consistent uniformed police presence? We also realize that it’s hard to make drug charges stick (a valid point someone made the last time we brought this topic up). Not to pick on Ms. James, who has done a good job in some other areas (she’s certainly stuck by her guns on Atlantic Yards and has been very helpful to some neighborhood business owners we know), but she has failed quite miserably in marshalling the necessary resolve and resources to solve this particular problem. We doubt it’s from lack of concern (heck, she lives within four blocks of the shootings) and suspect that she just has no sway or leverage over the police in her district and not enough pull in the Bloomberg administration to go over the precinct’s head.
We are curious to hear from readers how they have addressed these kinds of problems in their own neighborhoods. It occurs to us that a good place to start is to contact Councilwoman James’ office at 67 Hanson Place, Brooklyn, NY 11217. You can also call her at 718-260-9191 or email her at james@council.nyc.ny.us. If you’re feeling a little bolder, why not give Captain John Cosgrove at the 88th a call? He can be reached at 718-636-6511. And if you know anyone else in the press or in the Bloomberg administration, please forward them the link to this post.
Pivotal Condo Project for Clinton Hill [Brownstoner]
Hey, I live on the corner too, and came here looking for answers on the July 19th shooting as well. Still nothing. I went by the 88th precinct and they also said they could not disclose that information. Shouldn’t I have a right to know about people being shot at within 20 yards of me?
k – you’re on the corner? scary. i live in a brownstone in the middle of the block, it’s different a few feet up.
i was talking to my upstairs neighbor when we heard 6-7 big bangs. took maybe 5 minutes for cops, fire, and ambulance to show up.
does anybody know what happened? the rumors are pretty weak, no details. could be 1 or 2 guys getting shot at; shooters got away in a car (it was a drive-by). are they dead? i don’t think i see bullet wounds on the building but it’s hard to tell.
i wonder if the barricade that was here last summer is coming back? and the camera? there are lots of undercovers… i can’t understand how they don’t bust the crack business – it is SO OBVIOUS
Another shooting on this block tonight – wish I would have found this blog before I moved to this corner!
Reply to: “Posted by: Anonymous at June 1, 2006 03:29 PM
Learn to spell angry man. I think you need to settle down a little and get a “gripe” yourself. These people aren’t’ on drugs or fake ass anything. They are people that are frustrated with crime in their neighborhood and for good reason. As far as I can tell we are all on the same side, against the crime. Am I right? Then let’s try to work together instead of calling each other names.
On that note, sorry for calling you angry man and making fun of your spelling…
“Posted by: Anonymous at June 1, 2006 03:29 PM
I spoke with councilwoman james and there was a bit of fatalism, like don’t ask me what I can do, YOU do something yourself…I think one thing we could do is show up at every monthly precinct meeting and at every mtg ms. james holds. this should hold true for every neighborhood. go to your mtgs!!! and then write about them. keep everyone accountable in the fifth estate!”
The person that wrote this must be on drugs. Ms. James does not hold the mothly meeting with the precinct. The 88th Precinct Community and Youth Council meeting are held by a board that was voted in by the community. Most of you probably have never been to a meeting and you come on this boards and talk shit all of the time. The next meeting is at 257 Greene Avenue on June 20, 2006 at 7:30pm. This is the last meeting before the summer and they resume in September. If you have any questions contact the Community Affairs Officer at 718-636-6526. If you are serious about cleaning up the area you will be at most if not all of the meeting throughout the year, not just when something happens on your block. This is directed to all of you fake ass community activist out there.
Tish James does nothing for this community. Her only focus is Bruce Ratner. Get a gripe people.
I think that this is a very distressing issue for those of us who live on and around Grand Avenue. I was walking home from Prospect Park after a very enjoyable afternoon only to find yellow police tape surrounding the area. I had to walk around to get onto my block, and even more disturbing was that 24 hours later; there was still blood on the sidewalk. This is completely and totally unacceptable. The candle was placed there by one of the business owners. There were 2 people who died and they happened to be fighting over a woman. The argument actually started further down the block, on Grand Avenue. Some of the guys involved in the altercation didn’t even live on the block. The guys on the block, as some of you have mentioned, are smart and observant. Most of the times these shootings involved people from other blocks and other neighborhoods.
The bottom line is that it’s very important to stay involved and be active in the neighborhood, regardless of race, class or length of time residing in the neighborhood. Part of the problem is that many people choose to look the other way and don’t want to get involved to solve the problem. I am tired and frustrated about the lack of involvement by many who live in the neighborhood. It seems like it’s always the same people who are activists and ultimately they get tired and burned out. It’s time to unite and make a difference while also making our elected officials accountable ALL the time, not just in an election year!!
Freeform, for the record, instances of crime like that of Memorial day is unacceptable and outrageous. To be offended if that is said by a new white resident is revealing of the classist, racist chip on your shoulder. Explanations as to why some guy became a thug will never excuse violent or criminal behavior, and until you recognize that and stop identifying with it or hiding behind racial inequality explanations of criminal behavior, nothing will change. Stand up for the hardworking blacks (even, dare I say it, the newcomers in your neighborhood – black and white) in your community rather than reinforcing stereotypical excuses for criminal behavior, and things will get better. Regardless of what the laws are, if the culture of the community does not condone crime, it will not occur as frequently. You, my friend, at least from you posting, seem to want to straddle the fence on what to do about crime in the neighorhood. Call it out for what it is, wrong, and those who perpetrate it should be jailed. Period. No tolerance.
Here’s a link for info on the shooting.
http://www.nysun.com/article/33605?page_no=4
I also found some information on NY Post daily police blotter, which mentioned that the shooting was preceded by a fight over a woman. Both articles have similar info & mention that there were 3 people involved, but not 3 people shot. Where did that information come from? All I can share is what I read from the papers & saw for myself. We heard the shots around 6pm and it was 6-8 shots. It was clearly either 2 different guns, or the last 3 shot sounds were really bullets ricocheting off metal. From the roof we saw a man grab something from the intersection and tear down Grand toward Gates. Then we saw a body on the traffic triangle. That man was still alive when the ambulance took him away. From where we were standing I wasn’t able to see a 2nd body or police/ambulance taking care of that body so I don’t know where he was. Maybe on Putman? Where did the information about the dice game come from? And the 3rd person shot – where did that come from?
I’ve chosen not to comment or add my personal thoughts to this post, but instead share information that I read or saw with my own eyes… which leads me to…
the corner of grand & putnam remains a drug corner. To think that there aren’t deals is naive. I saw an exchange early this morning. I see it every morning.
the guys on the corner of grand and putnam are actually pretty nice if you get to know them. the dudes who cause problems are not from the block. for a while there was a police there every day a couple of years ago. they stopped staying there since nothing was up.