don't take a picture of the nypd mobile tower....

Obamanut wrote: There wasn't much of a rush to put up guard towers or any other sort of surveillance in Crown Heights ten years ago, when the crime was the same or worse than it is now.

I would be interested in knowing if these POW camp fixtures are really going up in those areas with the most crime, or if it is more a case of 'the squeaky wheel gets the grease.'

Well, if you ever came to a local precinct council meeting you'd know that its the long term residents that are clamoring for this type of surveilance. In fact, you'd be aware of the fact that there was a big hubub and cry after the skywatch was placed on the opposite side of EP to monitor crime targeted at the Hassidim. Many local residents complained that the proper use of it should be to protect those folks who were the victims of serious violent crime.

You'd also be aware of the fact that the skywatch was placed on Nostrand Avenue for the first time back in 2006 following the shooting of a mother on Park Place, the shooting of Damon Allen on Prospect Place and the stabbing of the homeless man on Park Place all of which happened within the course of several weeks that summer, litterally within two blocks of one another. You might also know if you participated in the community that all of the victims were black folks that had resided in this neighborhood for many years.

If you participated in any of the local political meetings, say the community board, the Crown Heights Coalition, the Crow Hill Association or any of the neighborhood block associations you'd be aware of the fact that long term local residents are asking for MORE surveillance in the form of cameras on high crime strips including Utica, Nostrand and Franklin Avenues. You'd also know that there is little to no discussion of the first amendment or the implications of that type of policing on the neighborhood. Folks are interested in one thing, trying to stop violent crime from occuring.

It's disrespectful to the families of all those innocent crime victims in this neighborhood like Chanel Petro-Nixon, Damon Allen, Carol Simon, and Benny Lyde to insinuate that stronger police activity is caused not by a sincere desire to see their killers brought to justice, but because a bunch of white folks moved into the neighborhood.

ha, someone got told

There are several of these million dollar devices scattered about the City. With the 77 precinct having a significant rise in Crime in the last year, the precinct along with several others in the City have been designated Impact Precincts. If the Sky Watch were sent solely to protect the Gentrifiers, then it would've been placed on Vanderbilt ave; not Nostrand ave. Nostrand ave to this day, is still a haven for drug dealers, and therefore will continue to be the site of Violent Sreet Crimes.

King without a crown wrote: There are several of these million dollar devices scattered about the City. With the 77 precinct having a significant rise in Crime in the last year, the precinct along with several others in the City have been designated Impact Precincts. If the Sky Watch were sent solely to protect the Gentrifiers, then it would've been placed on Vanderbilt ave; not Nostrand ave. Nostrand ave to this day, is still a haven for drug dealers, and therefore will continue to be the site of Violent Sreet Crimes.

You know, this whole police thing has me utterly disgusted. I can tell you first hand accounts of the ineptness and corruption. I don't have anything against the individual officers. The command sucks. The courts suck.
They know where the crime is and who the hot heads are. It is the same places it has always been. At one point there were a few dt's that went across the grain and made an impact. They had the streets scared of them, what did command do. Move them out.
Those million dollar towers? What the hell do they do other than put fear and intimidation into the people. Take a couple of those towers and put it into real police work and shut down the networks that are and have been bringing the drigs and guns into the hood.
I mean really think about it. When you see those towers, what do they represent to you, as an indivual. Do they make you feel safer?

The hammer is about to drop on all of you, who are not "the minority" as it we have been complaining about since the days of Martin. Then we all will be in the same struggle. For those like me, I have been living it and have been all my life. The silent racism, the hidden bigotry. The use of my people in this country through a contrived coercion into a crack epidemic. Which we are still suffering. When that filled its need and the fear diminished we were then presented with the "terrorist".

Houston, we have a problem.

Put cops back onthier feet. Teach them how to smile and say hello. Post them up where you know things pop off. Simple.

One other point to make about these towers.
These "criminals" are not stupid. They propably know the capabilities of those things. I pretty much do now after a quick scan.
To me they are just good sniper posts.
Grapevine also tells me the grunts hate them.