Grand & Putnam Gets Lip Service, Maybe More
There was a big turnout–over a 100 people, we’d guess–at last night’s Town Hall meeting to discuss the problems of drug dealing, gambling and violence at the corner of Putnam and Grand in Clinton Hill. Tish James and Captain Cosgrove of the 88th spoke for the first 45 minutes or so about recent crime stats…
There was a big turnout–over a 100 people, we’d guess–at last night’s Town Hall meeting to discuss the problems of drug dealing, gambling and violence at the corner of Putnam and Grand in Clinton Hill. Tish James and Captain Cosgrove of the 88th spoke for the first 45 minutes or so about recent crime stats and the historical efforts to combat the entrenched lawlessness in this particular hotspot. (What do you know! There just happened to be a squad car, shown below, parked on the corner before and during the meeting.) In particular, Cosgrove expressed frustration at the inability to purge 435 Grand Avenue despite numerous raids and busts; he also admitted his frustration at how quickly those arrested reappear on the corner. Numerous people stood and told their own stories–mostly of being intimidated by thugs and of being treated rudely by police.
Brooklyn DA Charles Hynes showed up about half-way through the evening and promised to pay special attention to the corner, pointing to the mass arrests in the Red Hook Houses as proof of his resolve. When we got our chance we made two comments: (1) we told Cosgrove that, regardless of the degree to which it has basis in truth, his precinct has a massive p.r. problem with the community that needs to be addressed and (2) we put on the table the idea of installing a surveillance camera, something which several of us in the neighborhood formulated as a top priority a couple of weeks ago. It turns out that there may be a way to fund this privately, though it’s unclear what it would cost (possibly as little as $18,000). A show of hands revealed that more than 90% of the room was in favor of a camera. Hynes said he had no problem with surveillance cameras but cautioned the audience not to look at them as a panacea.
The message that all three speakers kept hammering home was that the residents have to stay vigilant in reporting crimes and working closely with law enforcement. It’s hard to argue with such advice, but many of the people in the audience who’ve lived in the neighborhood for a while have endured years of feeling helpless and ignored by the police; they are also aware of the potential repercussions of taking too high a profile stance against the drug dealers. It seems like there’s a lot of momentum among residents now and we hope the efforts to clean up the nabe and hold the public officials’ feet to the fire will not recede along with the memories of the recent shootings.
One suggestion that came up in conversation after the meeting was to bring in the Nation of Islam as private security. This has never occurred to us, but supposedly they did a fantastic job cleaning up Coney Island (who knew?). Does anyone know anything about how that would work?
DA Hynes Hits Town Hall Meeting [Brooklyn Record]
I’m curious about how this corner is faring now, a year later?
I just moved into CH and I have been following this posting for a week or so. As a result, Ive changed my route to walking to the subway, so that I walk through this “problem corner” every morning and night just to get a feel of the extent of the issue first-hand, and I have to say that so far I feel VERY safe on these blocks. Grant it, Fulton is much much busier than the block I live on, but I think its important for the residents of the neighborhood to have some ownership in the safety and the feeling of their neighborhood. Now *I* am one of the people that comprise the population of this block. I am also, making a point of spending my money specifically in stores that I want to support. Like yesterday I bought some flowers for my fiancee at the Reasons, the florist/landscaper on that corner. Shout-out the them, they have great customer service. And I havent been to Kush yet, but guarantee that I will be eating there way more often. Maybe even saying “Good Morning” to people on the street around there. Basically, my point is that the least we can do is take action with our presence, or attitude, and our spending patterns. See you around CH!
couldn’t agree with downingputter more. i live on downing and putnam, and i almost always feel safe when walking around the neighborhood, because of my familiarity with it. i recognize my neighbors, and them me, and we all know we’re watching out for each other. reading how itsawrap called in regarding a mugging he’d witnessed is extremely comforting. that’s the security i’m looking for–our willingness to look out for one another.
we should all have the precinct’s number on speed-dial, regardless of whether we feel they’ll respond accordingly or not. the arresting of itsawrap’s neighbor’s assailant shows that while the system may be corrupt, there are at least a few officers out there who do their job from time to time.
be familiar with, and not afraid of, our neighborhood.
crownheightsproud, you rock.
Fatty, that’s the kind of liberal guilt that makes liberals the well justified targets of conservatives and others. As anon just said, “crime is crime”. And I’m as liberal as they come.
And I’m a black woman. If I should be a victim of crime, committed by someone black (and that is more likely to happen to me, statistically) don’t for a moment think that I’m going to be excusing the race of the criminal. Or telling the police,”gee, I didn’t see his face, officer” because I don’t want to see another black man in jail. Bulls@t!
My liberal proclivities want to see the individual helped before he turns into a predator, and maybe I have a better underatnding of why he is the way he is, but no one in their right mind should be excusing anyone’s illegal behaviour because of their race, ESPECIALLY (in this case) black people, who are more likely to be their victims. I want these people where they can’t hurt anyone else just as badly as the next guy. That’s not liberal or conservative.
Really appreciate all the information that’s being exchanged here.. and funny so much of the conversation is about community building.. because it feels like that’s what’s going on here.
I have to say I have noticed a significant increase in policeman on the ground.. just parked outside the hotel in their cars reading the paper. A group of 4 of them just standing on that corner. Cameras are a great idea. I would be happy to pitch in to help raise money for cameras.
The one thing that no one has brought up here is the methadone clinic on Clinton and Fulton. Can we as a community petition to close that?
Also I would love to know more about the class action against the Lefferts Place Hotel.
Thanx.
fatty- do you honestly think that Black people don’t care about crime- Have you ever seen a Black church lady go after a young Black man? Whoa! While I would be lying if I said there is no racism, but crime is crime. I was mugged by a gang of Black youth- I hardly felt racist reporting it to the police. Black communities suffer far more from the effects of crime than anyone admits. Have a little common sense- and everyone- stop thinking liberals condone this sort of thing. They don’t. And for my money, it doesn’t nmatter if a pol is Dem or Rep- they are all out for just themselves. Still, I’d rather have bad Dems in office than bad Republicans. The Bush experience is an eye-opener and has done this country no good.
well the whole pack of young foster kids that lives w/ the grandma on adelphi st will engage u w/ slurs and rock throwing…..even the white public defender lawyer that lives across the street is afraid of reacting (other than calling 911) as there’ll be no means to do so w/o looking ‘racist’
Well, I have lived near the corner in question for nearly 20 years. In 1988 we were considered white, liberal gentrifiers, and here we still are eking out a living, being a part of our neighborhood, and BTW — not being saddled with any guilty bullshit — having a zero tolerance for crime.
We aren’t stupid. We don’t pick individual beefs with scary people. But we don’t stand for nonsene either. If you hang on my stoop or play dice in front of my house, I ask you politely but firmly to get off of it and move on.
We have never been targetted and because we make a point to get to know our neighbors of all colors, class and age, we have managed well, happily and safely here. My teen girls walk to and from teh park and subways by themselves (not at night, however), my husband and I take walks at night (though mindful of sticking to center, well-traversed areas of neighborhod, at night that is), and I walk all over the place during the day, including said, scary corner. My immediate neighbors and I have a technique of needing to water the garden and hose down the sidewalks (innocently) whenever something fishy is going down (“oops, sorry, guys, do you mind moving on, gotta clean the sidewalk now”), and I call 311 whenever something is really a problem. Diligently. Does it help? Who knows, but I am here to tell you that in 20 years, it is 20 times safer than it was back then.
So, I agree 100% that more needs to be done by cops and pols, but I also agree that more needs to be done individually in small ways — know your neighbors, be a part of community, but don’t take bullshit.