Aggressive Panhandler

esmits · November 2005

Hi everyone, I'm brand spanking new to this message board.
Just tonight, I was approached by a man who very aggressively panhandled me and lunged at me when I tried and go into the locked dry cleaners on Vanderbuilt and Prospect Pl. He was also verbally unkind, for lack of a better term.
I met another ProHoer on the way home and he was also approached by this guy and we just happened to see a police car and we went after him with the police officers.
We found him, and he was issued a summons. He had prior robberies under his belt.
My new friend I ran into said this guy has been around before, but hasn't been around in about 6 months. He hangs around Vanderbuilt, normally early in the morning.
He is quite built, quite aggressive, was wearing sweat shirt and pants, a 40 year old black male.
Please keep an eye out for him, and if harrased, please report it.
I love the neighborhood, and judging from this web site there are many others who do too. I don't want a jerk like this to keep this crap up.
Thanks!

mc · November 2005

Was it this guy? The alleged ProHo gaffler?
http://www.dailyheights.com/archives/2005/04/caught_on_film.html

esmits · November 2005

No, thats not him, he looks way too nice to be this guy.
This guy was agressive, not in the way that he just kept talking, or telling stories. He was physically agressive with his body language, verbally agressive too. He threatened me a few times.
I thought I was bieng mugged.

quig · November 2005

I was the guy talking to the cops about the same aggressive panhandler when you showed up.

This is what I know about him: He is known to alot of PHers as "Keith". He's notrorious for intimitating people for cash. He likes to smoke crack under my stoop. he also has a very pronouced stutter. He's known to follow people for several blocks.

esmits · November 2005

Keith is definetly is name, I was able to see his info from the back of the police car.
He has a criminal record for robberies. Just keep an eye out and make sure to report any incidents with him. The police are aware he is back in town,

mc · November 2005

Geez. Scary. Glad things turned out okay for both of you. Thanks for the heads up.

oiseau · November 2005

Now if the police were on the beat instead of in their cruisers maybe aggressive panhandlers wouldn't come around. When was teh last time anyone saw a PO on Vanderbilt Ave that wasn't going to The Usual?

jack · November 2005

Oiseau wrote: Now if the police were on the beat instead of in their cruisers maybe aggressive panhandlers wouldn't come around. When was teh last time anyone saw a PO on Vanderbilt Ave that wasn't going to The Usual?

Wait a sec, I thought the 'golden age' of police simply patroling in cruisers were gone. I've seen more beat cops walking around nowadays than ever before.

Unless they're only walking in some neighborhoods and cruising in others. Which is not that far fetched, but... Yes, I thought the good old cruiser days were gone.

daveb · November 2005

Jack wrote: [quote=Oiseau]Now if the police were on the beat instead of in their cruisers maybe aggressive panhandlers wouldn't come around. When was teh last time anyone saw a PO on Vanderbilt Ave that wasn't going to The Usual?

Wait a sec, I thought the 'golden age' of police simply patroling in cruisers were gone. I've seen more beat cops walking around nowadays than ever before.

Unless they're only walking in some neighborhoods and cruising in others. Which is not that far fetched, but... Yes, I thought the good old cruiser days were gone.

The only time I ever see a cop on foot is when they've jumped out of their cruisers to arrest someone. On top of that, the cruisers I do see are few and far between.

jack · November 2005

daveb wrote: The only time I ever see a cop on foot is when they've jumped out of their cruisers to arrest someone. On top of that, the cruisers I do see are few and far between.

Welp, I definitely have seen more cops patrolling on foot in Boerum Hill and even back in Coney Island and Brighton Beach.

I think that there might be a Prospect Heights/Crown Heights aspect to all of this.

But I will say there are definitely more police helicopters in the air than I ever saw before.

ltjbukem · November 2005

Subject: cruisers

on friday at about 8pm, on my way out of sorrel, i saw a police car parked/idled at a fire hydrant on st. marks between carlton and 6th..

boaty · November 2005

There is little police foot patrolling in prospect heights and park slope....however, there are a large number of police officers on foot patrol duty in the flatbush area (like 3 or 4 per block!)

metulj · November 2005

Anonymous wrote:
Go 'head and rip me apart because I know it's coming. Your day(s) will come, your luck will run out and you will ask yourself, "What was I trying to prove? These people are wild f****** ANIMALS!"

Eee. EEEEE. EEEEE. It came from Craig's List.

esmits · November 2005

I don't see anything wrong with wanting, or even expecting, to be able to walk home and not get mugged. If I can do anything to prevent this from happening to me, or anyone else, I will. This is basic common sense.
There are a few racist suggestions in these criticisms: "street education is what people like me got because they had no choice but to grow up white in an all black neighborhood," Why does the suggestion of a "black neighborhood" mean it is a bad, or dangerous one?
And, to the person who implies that people who are concerned for their safety in Prospect Heights are "morons who move to neighborhoods in, or alongside, black ghettos..." You don't know anything about me, or anyone else in this forum. You don't know my race, my class, my sex, nothing. Your willingness to judge people from what they write on a computer is the same kind of stubbornness that fuels racist and stereotypical behavior.
And, finally, give up the notion that New York is just so tough that I have to count my lucky stars that I get home safe. Not every one of us is born and raised here in New York, but that doesn't mean that we came from someplace that is filled with white picked fences and fluffy clouds. New York is not the only place in the world that has crime. It's not even the most dangerous. It is actually far from it.
And, I don't know if you have been keeping up with current political situations in New York, but it's not getting "worse" around here. I don't understand why anyone would suggest that it is going to get "worse" when we have a mayor (likely to be re-elected) that is infamous for turning New York into a place where the poor working class can no longer afford to live. Have you even heard of the Ratner development project?

esmits · November 2005

OK, I just posted a reply to two posts that have since then been removed, so this is why my replay makes no sense...

anonymous · November 2005

Why does the suggestion of a "black neighborhood" mean it is a bad, or dangerous one?

I didnt see the guy (or gal's) original post, but for what its worth, and being a card carrying Democrat and self proclaimed bleeding heart liberal all my 47 years, this will sound funny coming from me, but its unfortunately true. We can debate all day long why but the bottom line is crimes are being commited at an astonshing rate in black communities. Whether you want to blame white oppression, economic troubles, apathy among residents of black areas, or a more racist answer as im assuming the person youre responding to had is up to you. The bottom line is that it is unfortunately true. Its not a popular thing to say but Ive lived in NYC long enough (in different "types" of areas) to see it firsthand. The thing that bothers me is we either get someone saying blacks are all animals, or black people themselves refusing to pass blame onto the people ruining their neighborhoods simply because they share the same skin color. The whole thing is sad!

metulj · November 2005

Telluride wrote:
Why does the suggestion of a "black neighborhood" mean it is a bad, or dangerous one?
The thing that bothers me is we either get someone saying blacks are all animals, or black people themselves refusing to pass blame onto the people ruining their neighborhoods simply because they share the same skin color.

Yeah, all of those white folks wouldn't dare blame Ratner for fucking up PH with his project.

I don't know which is more offensive: This bullshit "Dem darkies deys know who's a-causin all dah trouble" argument or the original post. At least that troll was up front with his racism.

Just how is PH ruined? By its past? What were the structures in place during the times when PH was 'blighted' that engendered that 'blightedness?' Give me a break.

anonymous · November 2005

I don't know which is more offensive: This bullshit "Dem darkies deys know who's a-causin all dah trouble" argument or the original post. At least that troll was up front with his racism.

Help me out here. Who is this directed at? I hope youre not suggesting its racist to think that some of the self proclaimed "leaders of the black community" should and some of the apathetic residents should not neccessarily always look outside the community when directing blame for the crime! If so you are sadly mistaken and quite pathetic my friend. If you find my previous post racist then you are seriosuly bent out of shape. If I am misunderstanding you then I sincerely apologize and ask you explain your post a little better.

Tellen

anonymous · November 2005

Back to the original topic - could we get a description of Keith? Is he the tall, thin, muscular guy with a goatee that rumages through peoples garbage and does odd jobs at Houte Couture?

anonymous · November 2005

I apologize for getting heated. This is why I usually avoid message boards. Sorry if I offended anyone and I hope you all stay safe!

Tel

candicissima · November 2005

Don't feed the trolls, people.

anonymous · November 2005

Where is Prospect Heights? Can anyone find an indication that this was even a Brooklyn neighborhood before "The Great Hipster Invasion"? A Brooklynite all my life, Park Slope has always gone right into Crown Heights.....

anonymous · November 2005

Very good for you to apologize Telluride. Better behave or they'll censor you like they did me. It's just goes to prove that the truth hurts those who choose to live their lives embracing the old saying, "Ignorance is Bliss".

qtrain · November 2005

PH HISTORY? wrote: Where is Prospect Heights? Can anyone find an indication that this was even a Brooklyn neighborhood before "The Great Hipster Invasion"? A Brooklynite all my life, Park Slope has always gone right into Crown Heights.....

The area started being called Prospect Heights in the 1890s, according to The Neighborhoods of Brooklyn.

carnivore · November 2005

qtrain wrote: [quote=PH HISTORY?]Where is Prospect Heights? Can anyone find an indication that this was even a Brooklyn neighborhood before "The Great Hipster Invasion"? A Brooklynite all my life, Park Slope has always gone right into Crown Heights.....

The area started being called Prospect Heights in the 1890s, according to The Neighborhoods of Brooklyn.
Although (as was discussed in a previous thread) the WPA guide to NYC, from the 1930s, doesn't mention the existence of the neighborhood by name, despite being quite detailed in other respects.

anonymous · November 2005

And get a dictionary people. Had the cowardly ignorant most probably hipster website owner kept my post up, you'd see that I'm not "racist". It's not racist to say that I don't want to live next to a black ghetto because I don't want to fear for my life or for the lives of my family members.

If I were put in a situation to save someone's life, while putting my own life in jeopardy, I wouldn't even think for one second about what race the person was. Therefore, I am not a racist. I just see things the way they are. Not the way the hipsters think it's cool to see it.

Black neighborhoods tend to be louder, more violent and much more dangerous than others. Those who care to argue with that will have to just learn for themselves - and they will eventually.

And as for the person who said that things aren't getting worse, I happen to have a detective with the 88 precinct in my family and she has informed me that not only is street crime escalating steadily, but that most of the victims are midwesterners and other out of state people who ignorantly move into bad neighborhoods without a clue.

anonymous · November 2005

The area started being called Prospect Heights in the 1890s, according to The Neighborhoods of Brooklyn.

Thanks. Just like a hipster, quoting the textbooks. I'm talking about word on the street. Take your head out of the books, look & listen around you once in a while. :-)

eastofflatbush · November 2005

Subject: Calm down already!

Well, I hope our newcomer here -- who wrote a good post, telling us all something we needed to know -- didn't get scared off by the storm of resulting nonsense. I'd like to thank him or her for the post and extend a welcome the neighborhood and the message board.

Any way we can hear more about this guy, and any followup, rather than all this nonsense about who moved into the neighborhood when and who's a racist and who's a hipster and who's got something to prove that nobody else gives a damn about?

jack · November 2005

New Yorker wrote: Thanks. Just like a hipster, quoting the textbooks. I'm talking about word on the street. Take your head out of the books, look & listen around you once in a while. :-)

Word on what street? I have never known the area not to be known as Prospect Heights and I grew up--and was born--here.

If you hate hipsters, just say that. But don't be a jerk and start claiming that somehow Prospect Heights is a named place on the neighborhood by hipsters and realtors catering to them.

NoLita and BoCoCa. Now THOSE names are historically irrelevant.

mc · November 2005

Who are the hipsters these days? I'm not sure this answers my question, but it's a start.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hipster

anonymous · November 2005

Guest - Keith is not the guy that works a Hootie. Keith is a pretty big guy. African american, about 200lbs plus, and tall at least 6'1. He "looks" tough.

He is usually around PS 9 in underhill.

Aggressive Panhandler

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