Senator Checks In On Clinton Hill Drug Trade
We just received a copy of Senator Velmanette Montgomery’s letter to 88th Precint head John Cosgrove about the migration of the drug activity from Grand Avenue to Cambridge following the barricading of Grand this summer: September 28, 2006 Deputy Inspector John Cosgrove 88th Precinct 298 Classon Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11205 Re: Illegal Drug Activity, Fulton…
We just received a copy of Senator Velmanette Montgomery’s letter to 88th Precint head John Cosgrove about the migration of the drug activity from Grand Avenue to Cambridge following the barricading of Grand this summer:
September 28, 2006
Deputy Inspector John Cosgrove
88th Precinct
298 Classon Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11205
Re: Illegal Drug Activity, Fulton Street, Washington/Classon Avenues
Dear Deputy Inspector John Cosgrove:
I am writing to you on behalf of my constituents who reside in and around the above area in my district. The complaints are about the selling of drugs and loitering.
I am requesting that something be done about the illegal drug selling in the above area, and the loitering in front of 134 and 132 Cambridge Place by people who are not residents of that block.
I would like to know what is being done about this problem and after the closing of Grand Avenue the investigation has not ventured in surrounding areas (sic). The illegal drug activity has moved to other places such as Downing Street and Cambridge Place. I am awaiting a response to this situation.
Thank you in advance for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Senator Velmanette Montgomery
18th Senate District
Granted this was written a couple of months ago, but as far as we can tell, the drug dealing has resumed on Grand Avenue again as well. Is it still happening on Cambridge and Downing too? Update: For Cosgrove’s response, continue reading below.
Turning Up The Pressure on Grand and Putnam [Brownstoner]
Here’s what Cosgrove had to say in response:
October 25th, 2006
In regards to: Drug Activity v/o Downing St & Cambridge Pl.
Dear Hon. Senator Velmanette Montgomery,
Thank you for taking the time to bring this consituent matter to my attention. I am very concerned about the collateral effects of our initiative in the vicinity of Downing Street and Cambridge Place.
I have researched the specific locations you complained of; buildings 132 & 134 Cambridge Place. For the period of July 1st through October 14th, 2006 there were a total of three (3) 911 calls for service at 132 Cambridge Place. Of these two were for domestic matters. At 134 Cambridge Place there were zero calls for service.
It troubles me that our constituents feel their quality of life has been adversely impacted by our summer initiative at the intersection of Putnam and Grand Avenues. I would encourage them to utilize the “911” and “311” systems top report the violations they are observing. This way the New York City Police Department can do something aboutthe violations in “real time”.
I will continue to monitor this matter for future discussion.
Sincerely,
Deputy Inspector John Cosgrove
Commanding Officer, 88th Precinct
What a pathetic series of comments that have detracted from a very important issue:
(1) unless drugs are being “forced down your throat” you have no right to an opinion – how very enlightened of you, anonymous,
2) “Mr. B., who is your source for these letters”: Mr. poster, if you took the time to VOTE, perhaps you would have also received a copy, given that the mailing was to registered voters in the community,
(3) “the senator should be ashamed of herself”: are you kidding, she should be ashamed of herself for tryiing to eliminate drug dealing and quality of life issues in her district? pulease
(4) neighborhoods come “as-is”: yeah, and blacks and women couldn’t vote for much of our country’s history; what an idiotic comment *that* was,
(5) brownstoner is single-handedly displacing drugs to poorer neighborhoods – enough said by Linus et.al.
I can’t even read any more of the thread past this afternoon’s comments. I’m sure further nuggets of wisdom lie therein, but I’ll pass for the evening.
Brownstoner has posted today on a relevant, important topic to the Clinton Hill community and Brooklyn at large. I for one thank him for his efforts despite the nonsense of the ensuing posts. Keep up the very imporant, and very much appreciated, hard work, Brownstoner.
Okay. Let’s get back to the issue at hand. First, I’d like to commend Brownstoner for his efforts in the community. You are so awesome brah. Keep up the good work. I live in Clinton Hill and trust me the advantages and pluses far outweigh the negatives. I couldn’t be any happier than to live in this neighborhood. With that being said, I think that it’s important that we continue to embark upon continuous improvement; whether it’s crime, safety or enhanced goods and services in the community.
Now Brownstoner could easily have chosen to take the blind eye approach and deny any negatives in his/our hood (e.g., in the interest of property values, etc.) but he didn’t because he, like many of us homeowners/community activist rather take one step back in order to take two steps forward. It’s imperative as a community that we wash our dirty linen in public in an effort to openly address those pertinent issues that adversely impact us; this way we can easily identify the problem and work quickly on formulating viable and long lasting solutions.
Yes, drug and crime is indeed a critical issue in the neighborhood and we, members of the community, along with the 88th Precinct and Captain Cosgrove, are working feverishly to address these problems. For those who live on Grand-Putnam or near the Lefferts Hotel, we can attest to the effectiveness of the recent quality of life crackdowns in the area. IMHO, this has been the best summer in decades.
Moreover, I think that Captain Cosgrove is a rising star in the NYPD and has his sights on a much higher role in the department – perhaps Commissioner. He knows more than anyone else that his career will be judged, for better or worse, on how Clinton Hill turns out. He’s either going to be known as the police head who oversaw the great transformation of Clinton Hill from ghetto/fringe nabe to a tier 1 Brownstone Brooklyn community or the guy who blew the game winning lay up because he lacked the courage and ability to meet the basic challenge of crime reduction in the area. I don’t know about you guys but I’m pulling for Cosgrove!
Central Brooklyn needs a community court like the one they have in Red Hook. The model focuses on low-level offenders by providing alternatives to jail for offenders that need drug treatment and other social services. An on-site clinic monitors compliance. Drug dealers are made to do community service and are monitored for the term of their sentence. Failure to comply will result in jail. While this court uses jail less, you get more jail time if you fail. The Judge actually knows the community. He goes to meetings and there is real accountabilty to the community because he sits next to the police and prosecutor at meetings — everyone in the room who can address crime is there (including the community) See: http://www.courtinnovation.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=Page.viewPage&pageID=572.
While there is still drug dealing in RH crime is down 65% in the past 13 years. There was an indy film about it as well: http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/redhookjustice/
6:16 PM, how do you know that the first officer to fire was black? I don’t recall reading that anywhere. But even if that were the case, if he was one of the guys that emptied his gun then he probably ought to get jail time if the courts found him guilty.
“Mistakes happen, Cops get scared, sometimes they think there is a gun and there isnt”
Maybe those cops shouldn’t be cops at all.
Also, why do you insist that deadly force is necessary in stemming the drug activity on Cambridge and Downing? I don’t recall hearing that deadly forced was used on Grand to stem the drug trade there. Once again, I think you’re trying to derail the discussion and turn it into a black and white issue. Or even worse, some sort of forum on the recent shooting in queens.
According to your analysis, every situation in which a cop is needed, from robberies to murder, is a lose/lose scenario. So it sounds like you’re advocating that cops shouldn’t do anything at all but push paper all day long. I really don’t get your point.
City officials continue to do the work that they were commissioned to do, regardless of public criticism or imminent threats of jail time. If they’re doing their job correctly and are adequately trained I don’t see the need to worry.
Would this griping even come up if you were the commissioner for a quiet, sleepy suburban town? No, you would just do the job that you were paid to do.
Its much easier to have a community-wide discussion on such things nowadays with this new-fangled internet thingy isn’t it?
As long as the community has an internet connection of course.
Thats true, if it happens multiple times then suspension normally occurs.
I’m “hung up on race” to the point that your question was loaded. I would suggest that you are actually hung up on race in this matter.
Now, please quote me one time in the above posts of mine (and a full quote, not lifted) where I have given an opinion one way or the other on this shooting being justified or reprehensible. I haven’t. BTW, accidental is not synonymous with justified, so please don’t go there.
You have no idea of my opinion on the incident. Like I said before, I don’t think anyone wasn’t shocked by what happened.
Anon @ 6:04 – the issue is THESE officers not the NYPD (the individuals are who will be punished) – if they had been reckless before or shown some sort of racism (1st officer to fire was Black BTW) then you might have a point but that doesnt appear to be the case – although despite your calls for jail – all the facts arent in.
No one is trying to derail the thread – it is just interesting that this thread is calling for more police activity just like the kind that led to this shooting. Mistakes happen, Cops get scared, sometimes they think there is a gun and there isnt –
The NYPD has a very good record of avoiding these mistakes (per capita compared to other cities) but they WILL happen, but if I’m a cop – I’d think 2x about putting myself in a situation where I have to rely on my OWN judgement regarding deadly force – since if I screw up and shoot an innocent (Black) victim) everyone will call to send me to jail and if I screw up and dont fire when the person isnt innocent – I’m dead – therefore unless my judgement is 100% I am in a classic lose/lose situation
what do you do when the police ARE involved in the drug trade? when they are being paid off and hence the continuation of the activity? i used to call 911 and 311 but why? so they can have your phone number, name and address? so, they can harrass you and cause problems for your family?
cosgrove doesn’t care, james doesn’t care, montgomery doesn’t care. NONE of them do because if they did, something would be done and unfortunately, nothing has been done.
today while going to pick my kids up from school, 4 police cars sped down grand avenue, to arrest someone. i have seen it before…two hours later i drove by again and the “fella’s” were back out there, in fact there were more of them. i guess they were gearing up for the evening rush.
it doesn’t matter. Why are you so hung up with race and color?
If the doctor is repeatedly killing patients, is it simply a case of malpractice and negligence or is it criminal activity?
Should this doctor be allowed to keep his license. Should she retire with a pension (if such things exists for doctors). Should he or she be suspended with pay?
I don’t buy the ‘accidents happen all the time argument’. You don’t repeatedly take the lives of innocent victims and then shrug your shoulder.