When "Stop Work" Means Jack
The Park Slope Courier has a story this week about another developer gone wild (anyone smell a tv show?) in the South Slope–and we’ve got the first-hand photos to back it up. In a nutshell, the demolition company working on 226-230 16th Street had already received multiple violations prior to February 15th, when a brick…
The Park Slope Courier has a story this week about another developer gone wild (anyone smell a tv show?) in the South Slope–and we’ve got the first-hand photos to back it up. In a nutshell, the demolition company working on 226-230 16th Street had already received multiple violations prior to February 15th, when a brick wall collpased, injuring two workers. DOB then issued a stop work order. The next afternoon, the demo was back in full-swing, causing more complaints to the DOB. By the time the stop work order was lifted on February 21, a significant amount of demo and clearing had already been done. When asked, the DOB first pointed to how overworked their inspectors are and then passed the buck to the NYPD, which it says is responsible for enforcing stop work orders. The longer we live in Brooklyn, however, the more and more we realize how much corruption there must be in the police department.
16th Street Demo Continued [PS Courier] GMAP P*Shark
Maybe you don’t understand this because you don’t understand the city budgeting process
If any of you remember the story behind the building of the Brooklyn Law Dormitory on State St. you would know that construction companies will do whatever they can get away with because the fines are not that huge to them. Urban COstruction not only began work without all the proper permits, they intended to do the anchor footings for the building by extending them (without permission might I add) behind the property lines of the surrounding buildings- of which one of them was my home for over 20 years. We found out when they collapsed the parking garage almost directly behind us on the State St. side (I was on Schmermerhorn St.) We forced them to give us copies of the blueprints (we had a neighborhood coalition) and then began to put pressure on them to change them. Which they had to do. The collapsed garage was a nightmare- the building was too unstable to drive the cars out so the city had to have the fire dept. oversee the demolition. Gasoline from the cars poured out onto the ground and some of the machinery caught fire. The fire and police depts. were wonderful (my building kept feeding them snacks) but the fumes were awful and the construction was shut down until the site was cleaned up. However several times they restarted work despite the stop work order. The best thing you can do with this stuff is call your rep (Marion Wood in David Yassky’s office was incredible) and write to Marty Markowitz. He answers- I wrote to him about all of the above and the illegal pile driving they were doing and he got his lawyer on it immediately. The Fire Dept. can also come and inspect, and they can file a report on unsafe building conditions. Get your local paper on it too. The DOB was not happy with the scrutiny but they had to respond to the point where the head of the Brooklyn Dept. came out to make an inspection and he was furious at what he saw. COnstruction was shut down several times- once for several months.
It’s a good thing that NYC Child Protective Services is not run like the DoB……
Sorry was typing – on topic – I never understood why the city doesnt have enough inspectors for things like this – tons of violations out there so all the city should do is keep hiring inspectors until they cant write enough violations (fines) to cover their compensation.
Actually your phone calls (annonymous or otherwise) do make a difference b/c the precinct commanders are evaluated based upon various metrics including complaints made to 911/311 for things like drug dealing (and other quality of life crimes) – and PCt commanders do care about that (in fact one reason why your drug spot may not be addressed is that the Pct is focusing on some other area that the Commander got reamed for at 1 Police Plaza) – the squeeky wheel gets oiled – try my suggestions for 2mo and tell me I’m wrong.
As for you painting a broad brush you are right – and it seems a bit unfair considering that you most likely wouldnt be living in your current Brownstone (or maybe have even made the move from Manhattan) had not this ‘group’ of relatively low paid workers reduced crime in the 88th precint by over 70% since 1990 (including a NINETY PERCENT reduction in murders) – btw please dont tell me about demographics etc… b/c no other city has matched these results so the NYPD has to be at least partially responsible.
Look I am no blind cheerleader for the police; I have seen and heard (1st hand) too much incompetence, laziness, racisim and scorn for the city from many officers/detectives (FAR from all)for that – but to make a public blanket accusation of corruption (which I have never seen) with absolutly no evidence seems to be over the line and unwarranted against an organization which though flawed (like all human institutions) has really done a remarkable job that has benefited virtually everyone (well those of us who are law abiding)
Well put, 10:53. Now let’s get back on topic, as Lostinbrooklyn suggests, before we get ourselves into too much trouble.
David,
In defense of Brownstoner, I believe that most people living in this city believe that there are corrupt officers out there. And as the saying goes “One bad apple spoils the whole bunch”. They need to be “weeded” out.
I don’t think anyone interpreted the comments in this blog to be a slander against the ENTIRE police department. But there are some obvious irregularities and incongruities at work within the 88th precinct…just my observation/opinion
Some fair points, David. Of course, the last person we know of on our block who tried to mobilize any action was threatened by dealers at gunpoint. Granted, this was a couple of years ago but the bottom line remains that the police are all too aware of the problems–they just don’t do anything. They don’t need another phone call for them to know it’s a huge problem corner. How about starting by posting a cop on the corner 24 hours a day for a month? As for befriending an officer, a close friend of ours in the neighborhood was recently told BY A TRANSIT COP, “Oh, eveyone knows the 88th is paid off.” Obviously that’s painting an entire group with a mighty thick brush, but in this case it does not appear to be an unfair generalization.
B’stoner there are many explanations and I suggest before you go on your widely read blog and post slanderous remarks, you actually try befriending one of your local officers and find out all the bureaucratic, political and legal resons why these ‘spots’ havent been addressed as vigorously as you desire.
Additionally I would also recommend that you call 911 everytime you see drug activity (and have you neighbors do as well.) Finally trying going to the monthly community council meetings held at the precinct- and tell the captain your concerns – I bet you’d be suprised at the response.
I can tell you from personal experience it is very difficult to prosecute a drug sale case in Brooklyn – simple ‘observation’ cases will not be brought to the Grand Jury and will be pled to nuisance misdemeanors almost immediatly. Therefore you need to have undercover officers do what is known as a ‘buy and bust’ – which generally involves an entire team of officers to operate safe and even then if they dont recover the ‘buy $’ and/or the ‘stash’ of drugs – you have no case.