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]
This dialogue is descending to the proletariat level of “the blame game.”
So much for creative problem solving. Just providing tomorrows solutions to today’s problems and issues.
As someone who deeply cares about this neighborhood, I think that the way you wrote this is totally irresponsible and negligible of the existing dynamics of the neighborhood.
1.) there is definitely increased police prescence – b.c it’s clinton hill! There is always an increased police presence when gentrification happens. you think Bed-Stuy is getting the kind of police surveillance we are getting in the Hills? hell no – cuz they don’t have as much high-income residents like the Hill. you should realize that we have relatively great surveillance.
2.) all you do is complain about the neighborhood – but it’s only about the people who have long lived here before you came, or all the hipsters before you
3.) Putnam and Grand is Clinton Hill on paper – but you start calling it Bed-Stuy once a murder happens?
4.) Leticia James is doing a great job -what happened is unfortunate – but instead of bashing James we should call on ourselves in Clinton hill to form a true united community coalition – one that knows your neighbors names – NOT JUST THE WHITE ONES or SAFE BLACK FOLKS
5.) what are you doing about CLinton hill? What are you doing to build community, respect, appreciation and etc? Ranting about a neighborhood that you recently adopted doesn’t cut it for me. For someone with the audience size that you have, you really are able to transform people and views in a positive way, but instead I just see you hiding behind your blog and feeling all successful cuz people like reading about “your take” on the neighborhood.
Alas! I have a neat solution. Let’s leave the public officials to tend to more pressing matters ( ie. putting their personal lives together) and since it seems the drug dealers have more to lose, let’s have the dealers police the area to prevent their patrons from commiting break-ins and petty larceny. One might think it behooves them to do so, as they will no longer have the open drug bazar that are these corners once the police reluctantly come in.
Another solution just came to mind: Why don’t the concerned and affected denizens of this fine neighborhood all pool resources to see to it that a Dunkin Donuts grace these god-forsaken corners.
God! I love college…..
i think the problem is more around grand and greene. and some of those dudes are NOT just trying to get cool. they are very visibly exchanging money for drugs. seen it up close. many, many times.
Today i was at the corner of fulton and washington at the deli, two sanitation officers were there giving a ticket to the deli for being not necessarely as clean as they are suppost to be, there are Fu…..g dirty, and literally the guys from the deli went face to face to the officer calling him as….e and …… I’m sure they will be facing charges very soon, the point is that it looks very hard to be able to change the mentality of this buisness owners which are just dirty old school shops and especially this one in particular makes money out of the junkies from the methadone clinic, sorry but no matter what race you are or how rich or poor you are, you don’t want this kind of sh.t in your neighborhood.Don’t support them,don’t shop there,they soon should get out of here.
I’m with you BrownBomber. Figure out a way for folks to contact each other and I’ll be in touch.
In my experience, the Clinton Hill Society is somewhat useless–the same folks have been running it for a zillion years and what they care about is house tours and landmark violations. A new group would be better.
Why don’t we all meet at the next Clinton Hill Society meeting and re-adress the problem, who cares about the house tour and the garden tour if first we don’t clean up from crime and safety!!!!!!!!!
Brownbomber, do you really think all those corners are a problem? Just because a bunch of black guys “congregate” outside a bodega doesn’t mean they are a bunch of criminals. I have the luxury of air conditioning at home; if not, I’d be outside looking for someone to bullshit with a lot more than I do in the summer.
What’s the problem at the corner of Grand and Lafayette???