Operation Impact: Making an impact?

whynot_31

Today's 45 min afternoon walk involved Franklin Ave, and an unscientific evaluation of the present endless "cat vs mouse" game between cops and drug dealers. Today's report....

Lots of cops:
The silly tower remains in front of Nams, presently in the down position.
A cop in a 3 wheel scooter putted around.
Two cops hung out at a drug spot so obvious I know about it (St Marks and Franklin)
An Impact van with two cops drove around
Two beat cops were walking north.

On the other end (innocent until proven guilty, of course):

Three of the regular Franklin Ave characters were hanging out in front of the closed on Sunday 1-95 (who seemingly disbursed upon hearing a friends horn announcing the beat cops arrival ...the cops then hung out in front of I-95).

---- And, of course, two new shiny coffee places who are battling on separate sides of the EP end ----

Amazingly, no characters at the Atlantic Ave end. ...where one can usually leisurely watch drug deals while eating bad pizza.

(KWAC, if you don't have enough evidence for an arrest, maybe you should piss them off by emptying the nearby trash cans ...you'd cause them to lose their supply)

So, residents of Franklin Ave and surrounding area, my questions for you:

So, since the recent shootings, is Operation Impact making a difference?
Did I witness an especially cop-intensive 60 minutes?
Do the cops disappear at night?
Does there seem to be less drug dealing?
...we all know the regular characters, are there fewer of them?

...I noticed fewer thumbsize glassine bags than usual...

xlizellx

Personally, I think the cops need to be moving more. I know that walking for your entire shift sounds less than appealing, but when you stand next to that disgusting fried chicken place for 2 hours while there are lots of deals going on just 1 block down, you're not doing much good. i think they should constantly be walking up and down the street so that the dealers can't just choose a new corner to stand on for a long period of time.

i see lots of cops, but i see lots of illegal stuff too - it's less than when i moved, so i guess in that regard it's working...or the crime is moving to another area I don't walk past as often.

I also agree that the tower is silly. Move around -- walk around. get the trust of the businesses so they'll talk to you, not sit up in your tower. I can't count how many deals happen IN certain take-out places on franklin and the owners won't say anything. that needs to change -- they shouldn't want this happening on the sidewalk outside of their business or inside of their business either.

whynot_31

Xlizelix, as you are likely aware, the local stores make decisions based on their perceptions of who will be here for the LONG TERM. (looks like they think its the drug dealers, as opposed to those visiting cops).

Crime moving to another area is the goal. ...ideally it'll move to a nice jail or prison, but I'm OK with simply paying to move it to another neighborhood.

P.S. I'd prefer to fund youth centers and schools instead of prisons, but we seem to need both at the moment.

xlizellx

whynot_31 wrote: Xlizelix, as you are likely aware, the local stores make decisions based on their perceptions who will be here for the LONG TERM. (looks like they think its the drug dealers, as opposed to those visiting cops).

oh i agree -- it'll take time to show that people are here for good. there was just a post on the Park Slope board about people being annoyed that people move in, complain and want things changed, and then love out 5 or 6 years later. i agree.

king without a crown

Don't you think it;s unfair that the Police are responsible for the sole responsiblity of cleaning up the neighborhood? Crime has become a staple in Crown Heights for years, yes theres drug dealers all over, but most critics just comment on message boards. Very few go to community meetings, form neighborhood watch groups or at the bare minimum even call 911 when they see a Crime occur. The Police cannot be everywhere. The Police department is so grossly under staffed, that every day officers are being juggled from Precinct to Precinct to address spikes in Crime. When the Community joins together with the Police an an effort to take the streets back, then maybe just maybe you'll see a change.

whynot_31

KWAC, I agree.

....but it seems to be a Catch 22: The stores don't bother to call the cops because they view the cops as temporary visitors, and the drug dealers as permanent residents.

The cops are presently everywhere, but lots of deals seem to be occurring. Surely there is a reason why the characters keep hanging out and have seemingly enlisted a guy to honk his horn when the cops walk toward them.

Is your answer "Operation Impact is making no difference, and won't until the community supports it"?

...has it made any arrests that are likely to result in real time?

i.e. guys on probation/parole, guys with guns, or guys dumb enough to be holding felony weight?

P.S. I welcome the cops, even their silly tower and Cushman.

After my next walk, I'll PM you the license plate of the car ....surely it has a tail light out, parked an expired meter, and the driver is not wearing his seatbelt and talking on a cell phone.

With enough creativity, you might be able to get it impounded.

hater

We were here first, if you dont like it, why dont you move out !!

whynot_31

hater, you were here before the cops?

...clearly you aren't speaking on behalf of the long term residents of Franklin Ave, and those of the Crow Hill Assn

lo kee

hater wrote: We were here first, if you dont like it, why dont you move out !!

Oh, you must be an 90 year old jew.

hater

You people write your derogatory comments as if the "characters" aka the black guys on the corner didnt have intenert.whynot you dont give a f*ck about the community, you just want cheap rent, an organic coffee shop and a place to park your bike. Did you ever stop to think that those "characters" have families to feed, that some of them have been living here longer than you have? Oh and dont give me the ..." but there are alternatives" talk, because there arent. I'm tire of reading this blog and every comment is a negative one.

ishtar

Uhm, Hater, your comment is the WORST and it sickens me that someone would condone that type of illegal activity. It has a seriously negative impact on the quality of life of EVERYONE. When these drug dealing assholes end up in jail the rest of us foot the bill. We can't even walk down the street in peace.

And you know what the absolute fucking worst?!?! I see black women in this neighborhood get up and go work every day in large numbers, but a whole lot of the black men stand on the corners, in front of bodegas, and in front of apartment buildings selling drugs and endangering the lives of the women and children in the neigbhorhood, so how dare you provide any type of defense for that behavior.

whynot_31

Returning the subject of the post....

Is Operation Impact making an impact?

Over the last fews weeks:
Do people who don't deal drugs feel more secure going about their business?

Do people who deal drugs feel less secure going about their business?

Does it make no difference in the neighborhood?

Does it feel like we've been invaded by occupying force?

What, if anything, would make the present and transient "police surge" more successful?

hater

Hey guys.. no need to worry!

The "characters" have been informed of this post so that proper dialogue can be opened.

whynot_31

hater wrote: Hey guys.. no need to worry!

The "characters" have been informed of this post so that proper dialogue can be opened.

Great. I've given the police silly advice that any rookie cop could have figured out on his first day, so it's only fair that the "characters" receive stupid advice from me as well. You know, things everyone already knows anyway. ....just expressed in an overly verbose post?

[Scarlett and a few others will tell you that I'm on the wrong side of the IQ Bell Curve, so it is safe to say if I know something about selling drugs, everyone knows it ...but I digress.]

Some of why Franklin Ave is part of Operation Impact is probably because the neighborhood is changing (the new people are calling the police all the time), but there's also a lot the "characters" can do themselves to make people (both the new ones and long term ones) not bother those in the thriving, no-need-for-high-school-diploma, Freelance Pharmacy Industry.

Let's start by referencing the saying "if you don't bother them, they won't bother you"....

1. The "characters" should move up the food chain.
Street level dealing is lots of work, and risky. When you think about it, the risk is mostly in terms of violence from other dealers and the occasional stupid dealer; the cops are just annoying and can't do anything much but put you in jail for a few days.

Street dealing means no workers comp., no sick days, no unemployment $, you gotta be out there in the rain and snow, you NEVER get to be off on the weekend.

As people get older, a lot of them figure out how to work less hard. One way to do this is to sell to a better customer base. It's time to deliver!

First step, promote your business; Put the word out that you will sell to those new hipster types that have moved into the 'hood, and even bring it right to the location of their choice.

You know, those 20-somethings who ride bikes and drink over-priced, organic coffee?. You can charge them lots of $$ for low quality product. Once the word gets out that you always have product, they will keep calling and tell their friends, even though your product is poor quality!

In addition to not having to worry about getting robbed as much, you get to hang inside where it is warm and dry until it is time to make a sale. Unlike many of your current customers, your new customers will have money all month, not just when they get some work or their government check. You might not need to even carry a gun, unless your fellow dealers get jealous. You won't be as safe as someone who just delivers chinese food, but you'll certainly be safer than you are now.

Oh, you also won't have to keep putting things into trash cans for safe keeping.

2. Chill!
Operation Impact only goes where lots of stupid nonsense is occuring. Get your fellow dealers and users under control. Tell your buyers that they shouldn't be mugging people and doing break ins so close to where they buy their drugs. Cops seem to pay attention to robberies and burglaries because they are felonies, but most 'em don't care about misdemeanor drug sales.

Also, at least for now while you are deciding on whether to get into delivery and Project Impact is happening, tell your buyers that they have to be more discreet: They should just nod at you and then walk around the corner. You'll then walk down the block after about 30 seconds or so and catch up with them.

Tell them forcefully that if they EVER show cash when they walk up on you on the street, you will not sell to them. Don't go to jail over some stupid addict. Tell them to be as smart as a dog: You know, "don't shit where you lie".

Regarding the silliness between dealers that seems to be happening, that's gotta get settled. The shooting over debts and what block who gets to work has gotta end. Lots of people call the police when they hear a gunshot and there will always be enough demand to support dealers together enough to buy in bulk and then sell it to fools who can never get more than $100 together at a time.

Convince your fellow dealers that none of you should try to be some kingpin that rules the 'hood, and everyone will just make a good living.

3. If you can't move up to delivery, because most of your customers are "down and out", at least spread out.

Let your regulars know that you'll be moving around, that they are not always going to be able to find you right on Franklin at the same spot. Or, hire someone who is known to your customers, who becomes the "go to guy". Then have him send only people both of you know to where you are. Watch out for guys you haven't met before, especially ones who wear sweatshirts and sneakers, use too much stupid street slang, and seem to have clearer eyes than your regular customers.

4. Pick-up the thumb size bags that your customers leave behind.

Some locals (especially some of the new ones) are really dumb, those little bags are the only way they know what's going on. Let dumb people be dumb, don't help them figure out what time it is.

5. The tagging. Most of the stupid spray paint about crips and bloods is stupid high school kids. ...but the people new to the neighborhood don't realize this. They get all scared and think there are actual gangs, not simply kids playing with spray paint. Then they have meetings and try to get the cops to be around more.

If there's anyway to tell the kids to stop tagging, you should make this a priority. Give them some free weed or something, and tell them to go tag somewhere else. It's not like the tagging is going to keep the competition out anyway ...those tags have to be enforced to mean anything. It's not like the competition doesn't know they aren't supposed to be here, just skip the tagging and deal with a violation when it occurs.

Which brings us to the end of yet another stupid post.

Major things to remember:

Attention is bad. The cops will go away only if they stop making arrests.

Drug dealers don't have to stop dealing, they just need be smarter about it. Every fool that gets arrested on Franklin or on some nearby block over the next few weeks means that the cops will be around longer ...and customers might go elsewhere to score.

The cops don't care who they arrest, and they certainly don't have to get the boss. They just need to make those numbers. If the cops can make those numbers simply driving around between Franklin and Nostrand, they'll keep doing so until they to work harder to get arrests.
Basically, the cops will leave after the characters stop being stupid!

Stupid people are like "low hanging fruit" for law enforcement.

Just tryin' to help.

pittiecity

hater wrote: You people write your derogatory comments as if the "characters" aka the black guys on the corner didnt have intenert.whynot you dont give a f*ck about the community, you just want cheap rent, an organic coffee shop and a place to park your bike. Did you ever stop to think that those "characters" have families to feed, that some of them have been living here longer than you have? Oh and dont give me the ..." but there are alternatives" talk, because there arent. I'm tire of reading this blog and every comment is a negative one.

I find this interesting. New Yorkers like to think that they are somehow less racist and more open-minded, but it's bullshit. Let's be honest, white people find themselves the minority in Crown Heights. When they see a group of black guys on the corner, they view them as drug dealers who ruin "their" new neighborhood. Meanwhile, white residents of Crown Heights resent being looked at as iphone toting, coffee drinking bike riders seeking to gentrify the neighborhood?

I was at Franklin Park and I overheard a number of neighborhood newbies discussing all the new bars and coffee shops opening in the vicinity with glee. One girl was bragging about sitting pretty in her rent stabilized apartment just WAITING for the area to take off.

20 minutes later, they were buying a dimebag from a guy on the corner.

If you ask me, there's just too much generalizing and stereotyping by EVERYONE in this neighborhood. The does need to be some sort of open dialogue because contrary to what some people may think, I believe things around here are getting worse.

whynot_31

PittieCity Wrote:
"There does need to be some sort of open dialogue because contrary to what some people may think, I believe things around here are getting worse."

This depends on your frame of reference. If you look back six or ten years ago (2003, 1999), I'd disagree with and say it has gotten much better.

...but if you are just comparing it to last year, 2008, you might be right. It does seem that over the last year there is either more crime, OR it may be just that people are talking/typing about it more.

KWAC or Paraderest, can you help us out with some stats that focus on the area between Franklin and Nostrand (between Atlantic and EP) for the summer of 2008 vs the summer of 2009?

P.S. I know Crown Heights is much larger, but this seems to be the present Operation Impact Area. ...it also seems to be the present gentrification zone.

pittiecity

I have been in the area roughly five years, and it just feels as though there is a growing tension between the newcomers and the people who have grown up here. It seems that in the past year, these newcomers have become more audacious. Rather than try to become a part of the existing community, they seek to gentrify. They walk around on their expensive phones, cross the street when they pass groups of black guys on the corner, or look at them suspiciously, and with fear. I do not mean to blame the victims of muggings, but I do think the rapid changes in the area and overall demographic in conjunction with a shitty economy are making the immediate situation in Crown Heights a dangerous one.

whynot_31

I agree, the changes may have come too fast for the newcomers and drug dealers (a small subset of the long term residents) to adjust.

I continue to be amazed by folks who use their expensive gadgets on the subway/street, without any idea of the income (and perhaps addiction) differences between themselves and those around them.

As the first (perhaps only?) wave of gentrifiers, did they not know that area has its share of drug dealers and addicts when they moved here?
...and that they would have to adapt some of their habits in order to remain safe?

Crossing the street everytime you see a group of dealers isn't a good strategy when you are going to pass these same dealers everyday on your way home from work. ....asking one of them if you can pet their dog might work out better.

P.S. It is in my self interest that white people stop being easy targets. Put away your damn phone, camera, etc. Try to look sober as you walk home. Get your weed delivered instead of buying it on the street, where you are likely to get robbed as you take out your $, and laughed at by the police if you are dumb enough to report it.

mr. met

Did you ever stop to think that those "characters" have families to feed, that some of them have been living here longer than you have?

cry me a river.

i feel bad for their families...and who cares if they have lived here longer than others?

fellow, did you know that this was a predominantly white neighborhood before it became a predominantly black neighborhood?

bklyn50

To Mr. Met:
Neighborhoods change. I have lived in Crown Heights almost all of my life. My neighbor when I lived on Lincoln Pl., a fatherly man now deceased, told me that back in the 30's or 40's he beaned a white gentleman who called to him and said "Nigger, what are you doing around here after 6PM?". This incident happened on EP btw. Nostrand & NY Avenues. In NYC, neighborhoods, just like racial attitudes, constantly change, if you have the time to observe demographics.

This community was hit by the destabilization of city funds during the tenure of Abe Beame. Erosion of private youth services through the 70's and 80's became the norm. Presently, it is difficult for young people to find an open youth center at a public school. The electrocution of a youth climbing out of a schoolyard has galvanized the Dept. of Education. The D.O.E. now has guidelines where community groups can only use the school's public space if they post a surety bond. There are almost NO after school centers. The Beacon school located on Prospect Place has made great gains in education but treats the school as a locked down fortress, not to be touched by the community. By comparison, IS 35 on MacDonough btw. Malcom X & Lewis Avenues has a fantastic menu of services that they offer the Bed-Stuy community.

Until the NYS' finances, laws, and political energy change, there will always be a "crib to prison pipeline". NY state has institutionalized (no pun intended) the prison industry as a way of life for upstate hamlets. Towns that are set up to use the prison-industrial complex as their economic engine are the norm. The state legislature had also skewed the funding of NYC schools (see the decade long fight waged by the Center for Fiscal Equity). 80% of all prison inmates lack a high school diploma. It would seem that by seriously under-educating the black and brown youth of downstate, you have provided future fodder to keep the prisons full and the upstate economy healthy. The trick is to use the prison population in your census data, so that you can claim more services and funding from the state.

The solution is (to continue) to demand that more early intervention in education, youth centers for our teenagers, and economic stimulus that enables a revitalization of the middle-class. But, this has to happen in NYC's two most crime ridden boroughs, Brooklyn and The Bronx.

And we just got 4 more years of Bloomberg.

mr. met

bklyn50:

i don't doubt that any of that is true and i agree that it is seriously messed up.

but one question for you: where do PARENTS come into the picture? sure there are institutional problems, and that's awful, but where are these kids' parents?

you can't just throw personal responsibility out the window.

mr. met

case in point:

in brower park when it's warm, you find parents with their children in the middle of a cloud of blunt smoke. parents smoking weed in front of young children in strollers. parents taking their children to parks where drug use is in the open.

bklyn50

mr. met:

I have never, ever strayed from exactly what you are espousing. If you meet CLAYFILMS or my other children, they are the successful fruit of many years of hard parenting by my wife and myself.

Unfortunately, the trend since my wife and i got married over 30 years ago seems to be towards more self-involvement (selfishness) and self-gratification. This plays itself out tragically in our entire society. As CLAYFILMS indicated by her logo, she and our family are practicing Christians. That said, I hope I don't have to endure any flames in this blog about any negative outcomes of humanities use of religion for SELFISH GAINS.

I grew up in this community. When I was a child, we used to play pickup baseball in the lot that is now the Brooklyn Children's Museum. Kids played hard but fair. The worst thing in the world that someone could be in the community at that time was a wino. That was the limit of drug abuse back then. It was a simpler time. But communication technology has uncovered many of the sins that used to be hidden back then. So we have gained greater means of communication, but less people absorbing better community values.

bklyn50

Operation Impact is disrupting the usual patterns of criminality. But, being enterprising entrepreneurs, they (the drug dealers) will adapt. The solution is long term:
1. Become involved in your community forums
2. Advocate an active citizenry among your neighbors
3. Make YOUR politicians deliver what you feel your community needs (after all THEY work for YOU!.)

The minimum salary of a NYC Council Person is $112,500. That means that after a 4 year term, they will have grossed half a million dollars. Until term limits was overturned, and considering the usual results of incumbency, a NYC Council Person would be guaranteed to gross, at minimum, a MILLION dollars for eight years work. Don't you think your dollars deserve more service? Are you happy with your city council person? (oops, too late for that one now; if you live in the 36th City Council district your city council person is now entering his third term.

While this blog is for Crown Heights, the 36th City Council district covers a large swath of Bed-Stuy, all the way out to the boundaries of Bushwick. I pray that our councilman will wake up and become responsive to the needs of our community. For this to happen, I pray that the persons reading this blog will adopt any or all of the above suggestions for a better community.

Talk is cheap.
Get involved.

whynot_31

Bkyln50 - good to hear from you.

Only one comment: Some of us talk a lot and are involved in other ways. The two are not mutually exclusive.

mr. met

i had no idea council member made that kind of money

what a joke

pittiecity

Can you run for city council Bkyln50? I'd vote for you...