Cop cars at Prospect and Classon

If you want to include all the violent crime within a block of the alma realty, it would hardly be an annual event.

Whatchuwant wrote: [quote=Asil]I'm curious to know, as someone who's also lived here a long time, what tipped you over the edge and made you decide to leave now?

My impending marriage to a man who has 4 quickly growing boys part-time. NO space! There are people on this board that have been to my apartment and they know how big my place is (4 bedroom/ 2 bath). It's still not enough. Also, I only let them go out to play under very careful circumstances. Winter months suck because no one wants to go out.

But- overall- I'm sick of the grind- it's a hard life living in the city if you don't make a mil. And I want to live in other places. I'm from here, so I'm ready to experience what life is like on the "outside."

Yes, it sure is hard to live here w/out money. I stuck with the neighborhood partly because of having a rent-stabilized apt. Now I could only afford to move (within Brooklyn) somewhere that's even less safe. Good luck to you.

And to those who say, repeatedly here, "It's the city, just get used to it" -- I hope I never become so heartless and numb that I dismiss murder as "just the way it is in this 'hood--deal with it." Saying that doesn't give you some kind of messed up street cred, you know, and if it makes you feel all cool and dangerous about living here, well... that's just pathetic.

This part of North Prospect / Crown Heights is certainly more grizzled than, say, Park Slope, and yeah there's some crime and the occasional murdered loan shark, but this is hardly "the hood" . . .

If the victim was indeed a loan shark, then he was certainly in a high-risk occupation. I have no experience with loan sharks, and I don't know how he might have handled delinquencies, but my understanding is that it is a pretty violent and dangerous profession, and if someone is desperate enough to borrow from a loan shark, they could be desperate enough to get out of their debt through murder.

It is a tragedy for this person to have lost his life. But while violent crime is definitely a local concern, this murder is hardly grounds for panicked hysteria among locals unaffiliated with the underground economy.

Folks, look you just moved into the n'hood but believe it or not, it was here a long time before you moved here. There is a long tradition of shoot outs in Crown Heights, so don't be surprised that they''re still a few left. The important thing now is that people actually are noticing them, that is, aside from the people who were directly involved, and people are actually being shocked. 10 years ago there were twice as many killings in the 77th Pct. but the locals just put up with it and said nothing, being resigned to the condition as normal.

Perception is not reality. While it may seem to the new residents that crime is increasing, actually, based on police statistics, all categories of major crime are way down, and that's a continuing pattern that has been on-going since at least the late 80's.
If you'd like to find out more, come to the community board 8 meetings. The next one is on November 12th at 7 PM at the Center for Nursing and Rehab, Prospect Place between Prospect Place and Park Place. (Yes, on the same block as the shooting!)
Every month the community board newsletter publishes the crime stats for the month versus one year ago. There also have a presentation by the public safety committee and a senior officer from the 77th Pct. frequently attends.

Capt. Planet wrote:
Perception is not reality. While it may seem to the new residents that crime is increasing, actually, based on police statistics, all categories of major crime are way down, and that's a continuing pattern that has been on-going since at least the late 80's.
If you'd like to find out more, come to the community board 8 meetings. The next one is on November 12th at 7 PM at the Center for Nursing and Rehab, Prospect Place between Prospect Place and Park Place. (Yes, on the same block as the shooting!)
Every month the community board newsletter publishes the crime stats for the month versus one year ago. There also have a presentation by the public safety committee and a senior officer from the 77th Pct. frequently attends.

Police statistics: don't believe the hype. They are incentivized to find new and creative ways to skew them and at least part of any apparent decrease is the result of them massaging the numbers.

Several days ago our community suffered another homicide. It occurred on Prospect Place near Classon Avenue. One community resident voiced frustration by asking what Eric Adams intended to do about the increase in crime.

Consider that question for a moment, and while you are reflecting, let me share a significant detail with you. The shooting took place only doors from my own home. I live on Prospect Place. In fact, I have resided there for about twenty years.

When I first moved onto the block, few dared walk down it, and living there was a perilous option. However, a few of us resolved that we would not turn over our street to thugs. We organized, and we fought to take our community back.

One clear lesson was learned: if we wanted to live on a safe block, we had to build a safe city. Our communities do not have either real or imaginary demarcation lines, and criminals do not confine themselves to one geographic area. Thugs don’t care whom they harm or where they commit their crimes.

I know this well because 22 years of my life were spent wearing a bulletproof vest, standing on street corners to protect our city from those who wanted to harm the decent people who make up its neighborhoods. I did this both as a cop and as a private citizen.

Many are aware of the numerous volunteer hours that I have given and will continue to give to anti-violence measures.

If we want safe communities, we will have to build them, not blog them. No neighborhood can be safe if the only proffered solution is to look for a politician or the police to do it for us. Just as there are prerequisites for being a responsible elected official, there are also requirements for being a conscientious citizen.

It takes teamwork to make a community safe. I know first hand, because I was a member of such a team in this neighborhood. If you are interested in uniting with me in an effort to make our streets and homes safe, I ask you to attend an emergency meeting (see below for venue and time).

There is no courage in staying at home and blogging about our complaints. Bravery involves facing down the thuggery that can destroy our community. I anticipate your partnership in making our district safe for raising children and families.

Best

Eric
NYS Senator

Meeting 1
Monday, October 19, 2009
7pm - 8:30pm
Hope City Empowerment Center
650 Washington Avenue (between Bergen & Dean Street)

OR

Meeting 2
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
7pm - 8:30pm
District Office (572 Flatbush Avenue near Midwood Street)

The police car is there to keep an eye on the victims home and in case someone wants to give any information.

My husband and I were packing for a trip when the gun shots were fired, and we wondered if there had just been another shooting in the neighborhood. As soon as we walked out and saw the police cars, we knew the answers.

Sadly, we just returned home a few minutes ago... otherwise I would've attended the emergency meetings referenced by Sen. Adams. Did anyone attend? If so, will you share the information discussed?