Muggings in Park Slope?

In terms of becoming a mugger's victim, do you think that skin color has anything to do with it? Most of my white friends and family living in New York have been mugged at least once. But the majority of my black friends and family have actually not been mugged. I haven't either - knock on wood. Obviously in black neighborhoods, it is more likely that both mugger and victim will be black. But in a neighborhood like Park Slope, I'm wondering if I'm more likely to get ignored by a mugger. As nasty as it sounds, I think that muggers assume that white people are generally likely to have more valuable items or cash on them which makes them an attractive mugging prospect. Whereas I, a black woman, can walk around at any time of night, carrying all sorts of expensive gear and I think that a mugger would only bother with me if it had been a really, really slow night.... The only attention I might get is somebody leering at me. That has certainly been the experience of me and several people close to me... I've often noticed that people hawking stuff or trying to give out pamphlets or whatever, often ignore me but pounce on white passers-by. It's like I'm invisible to certain people despite the fact that I'm expensively dressed and have a spring in my step

mypasswordwontwork wrote: In terms of becoming a mugger's victim, do you think that skin color has anything to do with it? Most of my white friends and family living in New York have been mugged at least once. But the majority of my black friends and family have actually not been mugged. I haven't either - knock on wood. Obviously in black neighborhoods, it is more likely that both mugger and victim will be black. But in a neighborhood like Park Slope, I'm wondering if I'm more likely to get ignored by a mugger. As nasty as it sounds, I think that muggers assume that white people are generally likely to have more valuable items or cash on them which makes them an attractive mugging prospect. Whereas I, a black woman, can walk around at any time of night, carrying all sorts of expensive gear and I think that a mugger would only bother with me if it had been a really, really slow night....

This contradicts the overwhelming body of data that shows that blacks are far more likely to be victimized than whites (and this includes crimes by strangers, not just neighborhood beefs). The single most victimized group in America is black males. Perhaps it just feels more dangerous as a white person because of the cultural gap, but it's an illusion. In fact, I think most black street thugs are far more hesitant to mug a white person because of the belief that he'd be more likely to call the cops, and the perception (true or not) that robbing a white person will bring down a lot more police scrutiny than keeping it within the hood.

All that being said, if you're only talking about muggings in Park Slope itself, then perhaps one could speculate that a mugger wouldn't come all that way into PS just to mug a black guy. :? Who knows.

vanilla wrote: one of very attractive friends, who also happens to be black, just moved to the neighborhood from flatbush (where he grew up) and can't believe how much more he is bothered in PH/PS than in flatbush. he hasn't been mugged, but he says that this is the first time that he has ever even been concerned about being mugged.

Who on earth is he bothered by? I'd pretty much swear that a black man in Park Slope is less likely to get hassled by potential muggers. Its just the way it is, in an upscale majority white area, people just generally don't go around picking fights with black men. Unless perhaps your friend is really short and thin or something. Hell, people rarely even start anything with me - a thin black woman.

escap wrote: [quote=mypasswordwontwork]In terms of becoming a mugger's victim, do you think that skin color has anything to do with it? Most of my white friends and family living in New York have been mugged at least once. But the majority of my black friends and family have actually not been mugged. I haven't either - knock on wood. Obviously in black neighborhoods, it is more likely that both mugger and victim will be black. But in a neighborhood like Park Slope, I'm wondering if I'm more likely to get ignored by a mugger. As nasty as it sounds, I think that muggers assume that white people are generally likely to have more valuable items or cash on them which makes them an attractive mugging prospect. Whereas I, a black woman, can walk around at any time of night, carrying all sorts of expensive gear and I think that a mugger would only bother with me if it had been a really, really slow night....

and the perception (true or not) that robbing a white person will bring down a lot more police scrutiny than keeping it within the hood.



Well, yes, but people like me don't actually live in or go to the hood. So in mugging or otherwise hurting us a black mugger would not be "keeping it within the hood." Black people like me are every bit as likely to report such a crime to the police and the police are likely to take the complaint seriously. The way crimes are investigated has less to do with race and more to do with class than you would think. For example, the way my mother (a physician who owns a large home in an upscale "white" neighborhood) would get treated by police would bear very little resemblance to the way police might treat a black woman of similar age who lived in the local projects.

vanilla wrote: [quote=mypasswordwontwork][quote=vanilla]one of very attractive friends, who also happens to be black, just moved to the neighborhood from flatbush (where he grew up) and can't believe how much more he is bothered in PH/PS than in flatbush. he hasn't been mugged, but he says that this is the first time that he has ever even been concerned about being mugged.

Who on earth is he bothered by? I'd pretty much swear that a black man in Park Slope is less likely to get hassled by potential muggers. Its just the way it is, in an upscale majority white area, people just generally don't go around picking fights with black men. Unless perhaps your friend is really short and thin or something. Hell, people rarely even start anything with me - a thin black woman.

he is just under 6' tall, he is in very good shape and has broad shoulders. he can't wait to move out of the neighborhood so that he is left alone like when he lived in flatbush - this is what he tells me. i think he might be bothered by seemingly seedy characters because is attractive and dresses well and must seem like he has a lot of $$$ - which he basically does.

I still don't understand what you mean. Do you mean that homeless people keep hitting him up for cash on the street? We all experience that in Park Slope. Also if he has a lot of $$$ as you say, what was he doing living in Flatbush? None of this is adding up for me. I've never heard of anybody being "bothered" by so much in the street that they had to leave the Slope, especially not a tall, well-built black man!

Subject: Mugging "online flak" story on WNYC this am

Just heard a tease on WNYC...Douglas Rushkoff is a guest on Brian Lehrer this morning, talking about online flak he got after blogging about his mugging.
http://www.rushkoff.com/2006/12/merry-christmas-gimme-your-money.php

they stream the show live, and archive it for later listening
http://www.wnyc.org/shows/bl/episodes/2007/01/08

The segment is towards the end of the show, just before noon