A friend wrote "things are eerily quiet" over on Fenimore not too long before Saturday came and shots rang out. It's the same damn crowd and houses that were involved last time. Then last night around 6, shots were fired down Winthrop towards Bedford. Yes, THAT playground. The one I've been writing about for months. The one who's slides were tagged with gang graffiti.
I've got work to do today. Feel free to comment away. I happened to be at the 71st precinct talking to Vinnie Martinos and Jack Lewis last night just after it went down. A few of us were there getting fingerprinted to join the Civilian Observation Patrol. Perhaps you want to join us? Send me an email.
I was writing to the Winthrop II block association that I think it's time for something more than a little sit-down with cops. It may be time for a massive demonstration, a parade around the neighborhood from one hot spot to another maybe? Get some press. Get Eric Adams on board. Get the attention of NYPD and Brooklyn South headquarters. I don't know. It's gone too far for too long, and I for one am sick of it.
52 comments:
Sick of it is an understatement. Rays, Parkside Playground and Fenimore 1 are the repeat offenders and NOTHING seems to be happening to get these dangerous gangsters off of our streets! I'm sick of seeing these guys standing around our corners clearly up to no good while the cop cars just drive on by. I posted a while ago calling for a march through the neighborhood and notifying all the major TV, newspapers and public officials. It's time to SCREAM LOUDER since clearly nobody is hearing our cries for help.
Count me in. This is ridiculous. There's new faces on Fenimore I, younger kids and a couple of girls have been added to the usual knuckleheads at 122 Fenimore. The lack of response from the NYPD & DA's office is shameful.
Actually MadMomma, I looked at my phone and the last thing I texted to the 71st was that things were once again getting out of hand on Fenimore. That was...last Wednesday.
But then what? All the individuals in our 'hood who are putting us all in danger are known to the police and the DA's office, VERY well known. The precinct and courts operate like revolving doors. What's up with that? Is it really that easy to break the law over and over again and get away with it over and over again? I'm honestly asking because I feel like I'm missing something here.
Amen!
I think a rally/protest would be a great idea. Also, I think this could be a great opportunity for kids in the neighborhood to get involved in community activism. Nothing attracts more attention than a Children's Crusade and kids talking about THEIR playground/neighborhood. I've seen it work in communities to get reps to address housing, health issues.
I am convinced that we are dealing with a corrupt precinct. They are being paid to turn their backs on us and look the other way. It's a painful thought but there is no other logical explanation at this point.
I have said it before and I'll say it again; something is fishy and something is not right. We KNOW where the offenders are, and the 71st precinct KNOWS. Why isn't anything changing?? Why do we need a rally with children to get something done? Nothing is hidden; it's all right under everyone's noses. What the hell is going on here??
I heard 6 shots while sitting in my apartment on the corner of Winthrop and Bedford. I heard one person yell and afterwards only silence. I heard no sirens or anything. I have been told that the cops in the neighborhood are crooked. It's either that or the police are conducting one of those "year long" investigations to arrest hundreds of people......for some reason I doubt that though.
Sounds like a rally could do some good.
I have been posting about the Fenimore 1 shooting on Lefferts watch and didn't think to look here as well. Glad to see there are some more people looking to make some changes in our neighborhood.
Couple of other ideas I have....
Sending a letter to every house & apt on Fenimore 1-3 & other impacted blocks warning them of the troublespots (i.e. in the letter suggest walking down a different block if you can, or at least on the north side of the street for Fenimore 1). This, of course, doesn't deal with the problem, but may reduce the probability of someone being shot. It may also help activate some of the neighbors that aren't on the listservs or visit this excellent blog.
Also, not sure if this would be a guerilla effort, but repainting (with the original artists and/or landlord's consent?) over one of the mini murals on the southeast corner of Fenimore to warn all neighbors & visitors of the problem areas/buildings & that there are guns around.
This would again hopefully keep people a little bit saver & could be a catalyst to drive some attention that we are having to resort to putting up warning signs....might drive some media & police attention????
Some of these ideas might be a little far out, but at this point I am willing to try (almost) anything.
On the corrupt-cop theme. I don't feel like that is likely, but I do wonder whether something else is going on. It is almost impossible to get any gang-involved folks to testify against or even rat on each other. Perhaps in desperation for intel, the officers have to make deals that have the effect of leaving some people off limits?
It's only my opinion, but a spate of shootings does not a dirty precinct make. I also know that getting convictions is incredibly hard. I also know that if landlords don't bounce their dirty tenants and hotspots, it's almost impossible to get rid of the bad guys completely.
There is the perception that things have gotten out of hand because they've come too damn close. In the last couple years, the shootings that routinely happened East of the Lefferts area are now happening in the neighborhood we call home. Don't think so? Here's the ones I remember, with help from Spotcrime.com
10/20 West side of Flatbush at Lefferts
12/27 Mckeever
1/31 Empire and NY
2/7 Sterling at Bedford
2/14 Church and E 18th
4/5 President and Franklin
4/2 Bedford and Carroll
4/9 Hawthorne near Nostrand
4/15 Lincoln Road
4/16 Lenox at Bedford
6/2 Lenox I
6/3 Rutland Kingston
6/23 Fenimore I
9/2 Flatbush and Beekman
9/7 Caton at Argyle
9/14 Fenimore I
9/16 Bedford/Empire
Notice how if you live on say, Fenimore, they get closer and closer?
I just sent the above list with my concerns to Jack and Vinnie. And forwarded a copy to their bosses at Brooklyn Patrol South and Kelly's office.
There will be a day when this is behind us, but now's the time for speaking up.
My husband and I happened to be in south Crown Heights (which is the northern end of the 71st precinct) on Sunday afternoon, and we saw something we basically never see in this neighborhood: a beat cop, just standing there, keeping the peace at the corner of Carroll and Bedford. So my husband asked him, hey, how come you guys are never down in PLG, you know, walking around and stuff? And the nice officer said, among other things, it's not really up to him where he goes, it's the C.O.'s call. And if we're really concerned, we should go to the precinct's community meetings. Fair enough.
Coincidentally, though, I also happened to be up in the same neighborhood the afternoon after the Aug 22 shooting on Flatbush near Beekman. And it was the same damn thing: beat cops, everywhere, strolling around, stopping to talk to people, and basically doing what you expect interested law enforcement folks to do.
So what is up? why does the northern part of the precinct merit so much police presence, while we who live amongst the shooters get nothing? And I count as "nothing" those mobile robo towers that go up here and there. I also count as "nothing" the cops who sit in their parked cars, windows rolled up, motor running, scrolling through their iPhones. It's infuriating.
I think a rally/march/protest is an excellent idea, and the louder the better.
JkBk: The answer is that the S. Crown Heights area is still part of the 71st Impact Zone. They haven't moved it...yet.
With the info I just sent them all I hope they'll finally see that the numbers are pointing to a big need to move that I.Z. over here.
Not that that will keep the young beat cops from looking at their damn phones all shift long...
Come on gloomy Q! There's a house for sale in The Manor for $3 million! You've got to balance your coverage! http://www.corcoran.com/nyc/Listings/Display/2811750
I guess we're not alone - Carroll Gardens gets to experience gang shootings, too.
http://pardonmeforasking.blogspot.com/2013/09/gang-turf-war-in-carroll-gardens.html
I think a rally's a great idea. We have a dynamic new councilman who's just itching to get out in front and lead this kind of change...oh, wait. Nevermind.
From what I know, most of the guys you see standing/loitering on these corners are low level offenders who are now packing heat. What do you do when you arrest a low level offender? How do you convict a low level offender? If he has a gun he's only looking at 3 years. (IMO, 10 years should be the minimum) To some knee deep in the game, that's nothing. I agree that more beat cops walking the streets will help reduce the amount of shootings in the area but for how long? We all know it won't be permanent.
Another thing to take into consideration is that the fact that these same guys live in the area or have friends/family who live in the area. He knew one of his targets. What do you do with them? How do you get some of these lazy landlords to get rid of them? Some of them don't give a shit as long they're getting paid. I don't have the answers to these questions but I'm just throwing these ideas around.
Oops, I made a error in the last part of my comment. What I wanted to say was that the shooter who fired at Fatima Gordon last year on Clarkson came from Bed-Stuy. He knew one of his targets and was familiar to the neighborhood.
Folks--I'm working on setting up a meeting with the 71st to discuss the issues being addressed here. Keep your eyes and ears open for details -- coming soon.
Pavanit - there have been at least 5 meetings with the precinct this year alone to discuss these issues. What you'll get is a speech about iPhone thefts, chain snatchings, and a whole lot of "it's complicated" in response to questions about why they do not apprehend anyone. You will probably also have people in your audience who derail the conversation into an hour long debate about racial profiling.
We should try to get the commissioner out here - meetings with the 71 yield absolutely nothing... just hoping to avoid more wasted effort on the part of the community.
I know Q won't like this but as the NYPD has reduced stop, question, and frisk we have seen an increase in shootings. When the bad guys are not afraid they are going to get locked up for gun possession they are more likely to carry and when they carry they are more likely to use it. The tactic is far from perfect and desperately needs reform but it is effective. It is also about to disappear under the new mayor and cops are going to be open to a lot more lawsuits which is going to make them more afraid of confronting street criminals.
Anonymous at 10:52 (or anyone else interested in helping to organize): I would love some help in organizing and making this meeting effective. E-mail me offline at thagirisap@yahoo.com and perhaps we can discuss how to make this work for everyone.
JDB: I was speaking w/Lewis and Martinos about this on Monday night. SQ&F is not, never was, a "policy." It hasn't been ended. If it had, it would have "ended" when the Council passed its latest laws. Our little shooting problem pre-exists that, and I'm sorry but kids are not celebrating that tort change by shooting at each other. Rises around the rest of the City are not being seen. So you're making your judgement based on what exactly?
SQ&F is a very long used tactic, and will continue. The aspect of the law that became untenable was profiling. Mostly this was a problem of inexperienced cops going after people who a seasoned cop wouldn't have touched. A system of restraint was never put into action. Also, people unfamiliar with the tactic, which by the way is still very much legal, think that you need "probably cause." This is not the case. "Reasonable Suspicion" allows cops to stop and question anyone. But think about that...it's totally at an officer's discretion. Shouldn't the higher ups be very careful about training in that regard? It's clear that they were not. The numbers of SQ&F's was not warranted and produced negligible results. And if you think creating a 1990's LAPD situation here in NY is anyway to do good policing, look at the riots that erupted there. You must work WITH the people in your community, not bludgeon them with force.
I say it again - SQ&F will continue unabated. Hopefully without so many innocent people being stopped because they're young, male and black.
You statement that it is about to disappear is incredibly misleading. Police will continue to stop and question anyone they want. When the situation escalates, many cops use that as an excuse to frisk and/or arrest. That is completely a matter of their judgment. As long as police are present and paying attention, we'll all be just fine. It's when they're completely AWOL that we should be concerned. Or inexperienced, and buying into the idea that all blacks are criminals.
Bill de Blasio and Jumaane Williams are the first to point out that what they wanted from Kelly was a) the admission that officers were actively profiling and b) some sort of system to educate and reform. Kelly denied that it was even happening, setting things up for a showdown that should never have occurred. Meanwhile, people continue to talk about SQ&F as a policy that has been changed. That's 100% untrue.
I have lived in Flatbush for almost 8 years now. This past summer was the first in many I did not see cops regularly posted on corners during the summer. If they aren't on the street, they can't stop and frisk so I doubt the ruling against SQ&F had anything to do with the increase in crime this summer. I believe the increase in crime is directly related to a lack of police presence.
I get so sick and tired of people equating S&F and how it's used with these rash of shootings. As if the recent laws passed by the CC are somehow going restrict the NYPD's approach with street crime. That's ridiculous! Nothing can be further from the truth.
S&F or SQ&F and application of race to this tactic with the mayor's reluctance to reform the practice has open the NYPD up for potential lawsuits. Blame the higher ups for that.
You won't believe how many times I've seen law abiding black men being stopped and questioned for nothing(in some cases, roughed up) while the thugs and gangsters who happen to be in the vicinity of these stops walk freely. Go catch them. Leave the innocent alone! The sheer incompetence on the part of some of these cops is amazing.
Why can't we be SMART when it comes to catching criminals?
It has occurred to me that we as New Yorkers have been conditioned going as far back as the early 90's that force alone gets you results and I blame the media for that. They have done a poor job educating the public on this issue. If you believe force alone is the answer then check out what happened with the street crimes unit in the 90's. How that go huh?
And now word comes over the Leffertswatch list a mailman was robbed in broad daylight on his route and his mailbox keys taken. A couple years ago the USPS offered a $50,000 reward to capture a similar thief in CT. Can't we get that too? I'll be interested to see if the Empire Blvd post office has the same strong response or not. Max sentence can be 25 yrs for this crime btw:
http://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/Mailman-Robbed-At-Knife-Point-105497963.html
To jkBk: Visible police protection in Crown Heights? Might that have something to do with CH being home to an ethnic group with enormous political clout? (Plus this time of year is overflowing with Jewish holidays.) If we had even half the organizational might of the Hasidics, we'd get a lot more attention —and protection and funding— from the city, the council and the NYPD.
To Anon, 9/18, 12:30AM: If someone I love is killed on the streets of PLG, I'll take great solace knowing it happened amidst such high-priced real estate.
To Anon 9/18, 10:52AM: Sounds like you were at the meeting a few weeks ago at Tugboat w/the 71st and reps from the DA's office. Suits and uniforms far outnumbered local residents, who numbered maybe a dozen tops. And the conversation was loudly disrupted by one person who seemed to have a grudge re NYPD. It wasn't a particularly productive meeting, but I can't blame the 71st for that. And as far as meeting with the commissioner. Well, maybe if we have a terrorist attack or a full-on riot on Flatbush Ave...
NOT an ethnic group Diak, but a religious cult foreign to many other Jews (like me, for example).
5:32pm, I wasn't the person you suspected was at the meeting at Tugboat nor was I at the meeting at Tugboat but I can tell you I have heard the exact same yadayadayada from the 71st at any and every meeting small or big I've attended or heard reports from friends who attended. The efforts to work more closely with the 71st did not just start this year. It started about 6 years ago when some of us became unhappy with the sweep-it-under-the-rug approach to reporting and dealing with crime here. After 6 years of hearing the same spiel yes actually I do blame the 71st. Time to start talking to somebody else above their heads. I don't believe it is corruption but there is clearly a problem.
Mr Marvin: yes, you are right. To be accurate, I should have said "fundamentalist cult," not "ethnic group."
Anon, 8:39: I said it sounded like you were at the Tugboat meeting because your description was spot on. I guess this type of unproductive meeting happens repeatedly (although I don't think we should give up).
Q - see this article in today's Post seems to back up my contention that fewer stops are leading to an increase in gun crime. http://nypost.com/2013/09/19/gunstats/
Also, when I said SQ&F was about to stop there is nothing misleading about that. The polls show de Blasio will likely win easily and he has promised to end SQ&F and get rid of Kelly. He has not said that he will reform the practice which I agree is needed.
The actions by the council on SQ&F was political pandering and will simply result in increased costs, bureaucracy and lawsuits. The real issue is the decision by Judge Schindlin. That is what has severally limited its use.
What exactly did Lewis mean by SQ&F wasn't a "policy"? It is a police tactic so I am not sure what that statement is supposed to mean. I have been at a couple of the meetings with him and he has failed to impress.
JDB: You make good points as always. My response:
First, you trust Rupert's NY Post. Good luck with that! Do you always trust lead sentences like this one that have absolutely no credible backup? "The recent ruling against stop-and-frisk has emboldened the city’s pistol-packing perps." What that says is that young men have been following the news and started shooting people. Hmm.
Second, a policy says that something must be done in a certain situation. A tactic is one of many options an officer has and it has been shown by opponents that some precinct commanders or other officers were encouraging overuse of the tactic, and that many cops were using it in an unnecessarily profiling manner. Since you, JDB, are probably not someone who has been profiled and stopped without even a shred of reason, I suspect you have no idea what that feels like, what it does to your relationship with police and society, and how it is ultimately a violation of the constitution and human dignity. It's classic "your safety vs. the rights of others." Some people choose the former, some the latter. It's your call.
Also, as the cops told me, they don't believe for a minute the rhetoric of the campaign. People say things to get elected - you know that! It is highly unlikely that de Blasio will choose anyone but a trusted ally of Kelly's to make it look like there's change but to not undo 20 years of decreasing crime numbers. We'll see.
Bottom line, SQ&F will be modified and fine tuned. It's a shame that the Council had to step in, and it's a shame they needed to use the threat of lawsuits to make it happen. Profiling is illegal, and damn well better stay that way.
Hey JDB, see this article as well.
http://gothamist.com/2013/09/19/ny_post_says_shootings_are_up_thank.php
The Post isn't exactly the most reliable source on this issue. Their fear-mongering record is basically unbeaten.
Shootings were up before the judge's ruling but what about others crimes like robberies, rape, grand larcenies, burglaries and assault? I'm pretty sure those crimes have gone up and have nothing to do with S&F.
Yikes, the poor Post can't catch a break here. Are people here trying to say they don't even read Page 6.
Q - your guess is a bit off, being person of color, I am actually not a stranger to profiling by police but I have never been stopped in NYC.
But you are right, to an extent, that with policing there is always a question of safety v rights. SQ&F is not incompatible with the 4th amendment. It is a useful tool that has unfairly become a political issue. Maybe you trust that Bill d. is lying when he says he will end the practice but this is an issue I actually believe him on.
I think we mostly agree that SQ&F is not any kind of magic bullet but I think it does put fear in to some that if they carry a gun there is a good likelihood they will get stopped and face serious time. I certainly wasn't saying that criminals are scanning Westlaw for case decisions but word gets around that cops are not stopping people as often and then those so inclined feel more comfortable carrying.
"Maybe you trust that Bill d. is lying when he says he will end the practice [S&F]"
AFAIK the ONLY candidate who said he'd end S&F was John Liu. DiBlasio wants to control the use of this tactic, but NOT end it.
Bob is correct. Liu was the only one to say he would totally eliminate S&F.
Shooting on Winthrop-playground-did anyone see our council representative? Do we have an officer station at the playground? Do you see the difference an active and respected council person can accomplish, and a community that make demands of is politicians?
Eugene I'm talking to you-where are you? Are you on vacation?
Assemblywoman Millman's office just sent out the following press release:
Over the last few days, Assemblywoman Millman has spoken multiple times with Deputy Inspector Schiff of the 76th Precinct regarding the incidents that happened Monday in and around Carroll Park. Starting today (Thursday), there will be an officer stationed in Carroll Park from 3pm-6pm.
Deputy Inspector Schiff will be in the park as well this afternoon.
Amen Anon 10:33.
JDB - hope you didn't think I was assuming you were white. THAT would be profiling, and I would never!
Seriously the bad guys don't need to carry guns. That's why SQF finds so few. They stash 'em and grab 'em in the passion of anger. That's why the intel part of this is so crucial.
A near-shooting happened on Woodruff a couple years ago; these detectives I met when I was at the station looking at pics were telling me about it. They see these kids running back into their apartment building and nab one of them and ask what they're scared of. Turns out someone's mad at someone AND knows where there's a gun stashed. So the cops ask who's gonna get killed (not who's gonna shoot, mind you - they probably wouldn't have got that info out of him) and the cops run over to that kid just as a fight is starting to break out. They round up everyone involved in the fracas and frisk them. Sure enough, one of them has a gun. And soon they confirm that in fact that kid was pissed at the guy they came in search of.
That story sticks with me, because it was smart policing at every step. Get to know the crews a bit better, follow their beefs, and maybe even hire ex-cons to mediate. Those ex-cons could probably use the job, and would cost a lot less over 20 years than the text-messaging pumped up bumpkins you often see on street corners.
I know you all know this, but the 4th amendment says:
"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."
The courts have issued many rulings on this, I know. But sometimes it's worth reading that. It's pretty amazing it made it into our founding document, given that it (theoretically) robs the state of a pretty powerful tool.
Crafty Mr. Madison. Very crafty! In return for your prescience, we'll be sure to name a high-priced fashionable avenue after you...
"Shooting on Winthrop-playground-did anyone see our council representative? Do we have an officer station at the playground? Do you see the difference an active and respected council person can accomplish, and a community that make demands of is politicians?
Eugene I'm talking to you-where are you? Are you on vacation?"
Oh please. Look, the world doesn't revolve around you honey. Dr. Eugene is a very busy man. He has appointments. If you are so concerned for the playground, take your complaints to the 71st.
Better yet, why don't you demand Dr. Eugene grow tentacles so he can get hands on every gangbanger in the neighborhood?
Yes he should!
Anon 3:38
I know your purpose is to incite the readers of this blog and I am taking your bait by responding, but your response is so heinous I had to respond. Mr. Eugene should take leadership on the issues concerning the Parkside Playground and spearhead initiatives to address this issue. Isn't this park one of the signature accomplishments he has claimed as councilman? He has stated, and I quote, "I believe we must improve the quality of local parks in an effort to protect the health and wellbeing of the community.” Where is the action to support his own words?
There have been multiple shootings in or around this park, in broad daylight while children are playing, walking home from school etc. The fact that you would use this issue to defend Mr. Eugene and to throw jabs at people is at best sad and at worse bordering on criminal. Shame on you! Some of us care about our lives and the lives of our children, if you do not that's fine, but you should just shut up about it. Again, Shame on you!
Helicopter action around hawthorne and Bedford. Anyone know what's going on?
I believe there is/was an autistic child missing. He rode away from the Rutland 2 Block Party on his bicycle at approx 11am. See Tim's new post. There is a photo.
I hope he has been found....
Well said Mom on Winthrop.
Dr. Eugene should be ashamed of himself. Better yet, the good doctor as a physician should be even more empathetic towards the people who reside in this neighborhood; particularly innocent children that this park was renovated for. Furthermore, when you take pride on building something and claimed it is one of your accomplishments, you should preserve it, take care of it and guard it. What the hell! And for the fool that keep inciting people on this blog, I got news for you-some of us will take you up to task, because we not only care about our lives, our children lives, but also our neighbors lives.
SHAME ON YOU FOOL!
I really think the answer is (a) beat cops walking around and talking to people all day and night, knowing the area and people, plus (b) community members doing their own patrols or neighborhood watch stuff. But for that to really prevent bad behavior, it has to reach a tipping point of people who live here willing to patrol (whether formally or informally) so that it's a saturation. Also if there were restaurants and bars that would draw foot traffic from adjacent neighborhoods, that may very well have the side effect of too many "witnesses" walking around on the streets for shootings. Sorry to be so cynical, but honestly I do think it would have that effect. It will all happen eventually. Just my 2cents.
Rose, I don't care you think my comments incite you or others. That is your problem hon. Go take a midol. You people seem to have no problem attacking Mathieu Eugene during meetings and q&as you hypocrite. You people have been spreading vicious about him from the moment the election campaign started.
Mathieu Eugene is doing the best that he can with the cards he is dealt with. He can't everything at once. He can't hire cops to protect playgrounds. That's up to the 71st and the parks department. Go yell at them! I do fear what your children might grow up to be. Spreading lies and creating a hostile environment for the residents of this district is not something children should look up too. Nor is posting these lies on a blog where the author thinks he Studs Terkel. No, wait, a poor man's Studs Terkel.
There is so much our beloved councilman is doing to improve the quality of life in this district that Tim won't post here. Why? Ask him.
anon 8:38:
Ha ha. Your comment makes it painfully clear that you know Mathieu Eugene is helpless and that you believe residents should expect nothing from him.
That about right?
Improving the quality of life? Who? Eugene?
There's not a shred of evidence to support the claim that anyone's life has been improved except Eugene's. A life that allows him to enjoy a salary provided by taxpayers who were bamboozled into paying him for doing nothing.
anon 8:38 please send me a list of these supposed accomplishments plus a list of his plans for the community. i'm happy to publish it. I've asked for it before and never received it. Please note that I have already written about many of his accomplishments here, so I need new ones that the community doesn't know about.
Plans for the future would be great. I've never heard him articulate any - perhaps he's got some great hopes and dreams for the community up his well-tailored sleeves.
And I take the poor man's Studs Terkel comment as huge compliment. Thank you! Let me return the favor and note that you are a poor man's douchebag.
The general election offers another opportunity to register your opposition to the Councilquack. Sylvia Kinard is running on the "Rent Party" line so pulling the lever for her (I'm meeting with her on Tuesday and will file a report here) will send a signal loud and clear that...oh who am I kidding, he's not gonna listen anyway.
Anon 8:38
I don't know about your councilman's other great accomplishments, however I do remember him saying and publicizing to the entire world what a great accomplishment fixing the park on Winthrop was. If that is so, why isn't he during everything in his power to keep it that way. You've not answer that question. He can get in touch with the police, he can make suggestions, he can show-up at the park,call the precinct commanders to meet him there, call the press. All of that he has the power to do, to call attention to the fact that shooting in the park will not be tolerated. I am not asking him to create miracles, but to show leadership. Is that too much for his constituents to hope for? I don't think so!
Aren't there a couple well known people in the neighborhood who could draw attention to the playground issue? Doesn't one of the actors from The Wire live in the manor? A.O. Scott? Can't someone come forward who can attract press?
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