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
I think loser has a point, in that it gives the lie to the defensive reaction that comes up sometimes when people bring up crime in a neighborhood–“Crime happens everywhere.” It does, but that doesn’t mean it happens everywhere equally, and that does matter.
BUT, Brownstoner is not one of the people who says that. He doesn’t downplay crime in his neighborhood–otherwise why would he even put up posts like this? He’s been pretty forthright about what he likes about his neighborhood and what he doesn’t.
There’s nothing wrong with moving into a place and then busting your ass to try to make it better. And the idea that people should tolerate crime in their own neighborhoods because they are nobly helping shunt crime away from poorer neighborhoods is nonsense. There’s not a fixed amount of crime that will automatically move into poor neighborhoods. It is actually possible for crime in a city to decrease overall–as it has in NYC–and citizens’ involvement is just one way it can happen.
anon 1:24 PM I don’t understand how you could say something like that. A groom was killed on the night before his wedding. If this had happened to a bunch of white kids I doubt you’d be so sympathetic to the cop’s ‘MISTAKE’.
C’mon, enough with the double standards already. Human lives are not more dispensible just because one’s skin tone is darker. I really don’t understand how you could make such a statement. And you wonder why black folks have a ‘chip on their shoulders’.
also 1:24 PM, they do know how many bullets each officers fired because they can certify which guns were unloaded completely and which ones had remaining rounds.
Any cop who completely guns down a vehicle that is moving away from him shouldn’t really be on the force and he shouldn’t be receiving suspension pay or a pension either.
My point is: don’t buy a million plus dollar house saying how great the area is and then start complaining after you bought it that the area isn’t so great. When anyone cautions on here about certain hoods (e.g. the much-maligned or totally fabulous Bed Stuy depending on your owenership status) there are a rash of posts saying how great the place is. Until it isn’t.
“Ok, so what’s your plan then? Invite the dealers in for a counseling session? Maybe some hugs?”
Even that would be more productive than simply buying them a cab ride to the next nabe.
“I’d like to address the root causes of murder too, but if I see someone get shot, I’m going to call the cops”
The question isn’t whether you’ll call the cops. The question is whether, when the cops arrive, you’ll insist that they locate the poorest possible victim for the killer.
1:24 PM, while we’re off topic, mistakes are costly. True, a lot of mystery surrounds the case. But the fact remains that one person died in the shootout (a groom attending his bachelor’s party). And for all practical purposes he might have been an innocent victim.
Not knocking the police dept, they do a great job, more or less, within my nabe but, mistakes are costly. It’s not the same thing as screwing up some paperwork at work.
We can’t afford mistakes where human lives are concerned, especially when police are trained to fire no more than 3 bullets at a moving car. If five cops were involved, there shouldn’t have been more than 15 bullets fired, not 50.
Any cop who gets ‘spooked’ or has a knee jerk reaction and ending up emptying their cartridge should really get prosecuted and sent to jail.
Sure, attack the root causes of drug abuse. I’d like to address the root causes of murder too, but if I see someone get shot, I’m going to call the cops, not just write my congressman for a minimum-wage increase or gun control.
I think that by ‘root’ s/he is referring to the rampant poverty, lack of jobs, etc. that drives(???) people to drug dealing.
I can understand that argument but I’m less concerned with the drug dealing and more concerned with the fact that black men (an already endangered species) are turning against each other and killing one another in defense of a drug territory or whatever other reasons there may be.
It’s a hydra-headed problem that requires multiple solutions but I still believe that the first step is to get the dealers off the streets (everywhere).