Dumbo NYC

What time did these attacks take place?

I heard one of them was at 10:30pm last Friday in front of Peas and Pickles.

These aren't just incidental crimes; I heard from a friend who witnessed one of them that they're violent attacks by hoodlums. There have been at least 3 I've heard of in the past week. Call 311/911 if you withness anything suspicious!

Does Governor Spitzer know about this?

A friend of mine was jumped by this group of kids last night at 7:30 pm in Vinegar Hill. He was hit and the kids demanded that he empty his pockets. A passerby in a livery car came to his aid as did someone from the local cafe.

I called 311 this morning to request additional police presence in Dumbo and Vinegar Hill and was told to call the 84th precinct directly. Then I spoke to a woman at the 84th precinct who told me there was nothing she could do and to try calling the mayor or my councilman. I called 311 again and the operator said to write a letter to the mayor or visit this site to send him an email: http://www.nyc.gov/html/mail/html/mayor.html

I just called our councilwoman, Letitia James' office and spoke to someone who was very sympathetic and helpful and said they will be in touch with the 84th precinct regarding these crimes.

If we want increased police presence in this neighborhood then we have to work together to make our safety issues known. As I was told this morning, one call isn't going to do it. If you have time, please make an effort to contact our municipal officials to let them know that this is an issue that we are all very concerned about.

84th Police Precinct
718-875-6811

write to:
The Honorable Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg
City Hall
New York, NY 10007
http://www.nyc.gov/html/mail/html/mayor.html

Letitia James
District 35 - Council Member
67 Hanson Place
Brooklyn, NY 11217
718-260-9191

Raymond Kelly
Commissioner, NYPD
http://nyc.gov/html/mail/html/mailnypd.html

Yes this is very concerning. The latest attack that I knew about happened at 7pm two nights ago. It was legitimately light out at that point and yet they are still muggings going on. I walk my dog along with many other people right around this time... It's a shame to think that I don't feel safe doing this now. Is there not an opportunity to get a CCTV camera at one of the intersections?

We al need to undertake the necessary contacts and correspondence to "move the needle" on this thing.

Also: Is our neighborhood--I assume I would be talking about the DNA--doing enough to support our local precinct? In other words, are we donating to their police fund or whatever they have going on charity-wise or fundraising-wise...?

It's one thing to be a squeaky wheel, but we need to grease the wheel, too...

I spoke with council women James and she said she was not the correct person to speak to. David Yassky is the council man for out district. The person I spoke with said there was little they could do, however the 84th precinct will be having an open forum in Dumbo in coming weeks. The person I spoke to said the more people that can attend this meeting the more chances there are of something happening.

Sorry for my error. When I typed in my Vinegar Hill address on nyc.gov the site came up with Councilwoman James's contact information. Of course now that I see James Gregsons's post I am very familiar with David Yassky's name.

Not surprised by the "not my problem" reaction from the city. Nagging politicians and bureaucrats is what you do when you are hoping to get more trees planted next year. If your life or the life of your spouse or child is in danger now, you defend yourself now.

We must protect our physical safety one way or another. Uniting the neighborhood to hire our own armed patrol force is one way. If not enough people will agree to pay for that, then those who do value their safety will be forced to arm themselves.

If my choice is risking getting arrested for carrying a weapon or helplessly standing there while my 1-year-old's eye gets ripped out by a marauding gang, I choose the former.

I have a good friend who is very familiar with these "open forums" facilitated by the Brooklyn police precincts. Keep in mind that she is not directly familiar with the 84th but with the 88th (Clinton Hill), but she emphasized very strongly that these forums are almost always "utterly useless" and no more than PR opportunities from which nothing substantive ever occurs.

It doesn't make sense that Yassky's office can do "little." You either spoke with a clueless volunteer or someone whose job it is to dismiss everything out of hand to try and filter the real issues from the complainers and cranks.

My information is that only numbers will count. In other words, a demand for permanent increased police presence submitted by neighborhood voters with consent-to-be-contacted signatures.

Would it be any more effective to go directly up to the police who are sometimes in the neighborhood and request more patrolling? I harbor the usual cynicism of the NYPD, but maybe speaking with cops on the beat would promote some bottom-up change.

Dear Johnson 12:42:
I don't want you on the street with a gun anymore than I want those hoodlums!

What? Brooklyn is getting too Brooklyn for you? When you gentrifiers signed your contract did you actually believe the Farragut Houses and the surrounding hood would magically clean up? Or you simply chose to ignore the poverty and inequity existing right next door to you? Karma is a bitch.

I don't think this crew cares if one is a 'gentrifier' or an old-timer. What makes you think you're exempt from a mugging, Ha-ha? How can you stoop so low as to laugh when people have been violently assaulted?

If the "open forum" that was mentioned is the monthly precinct council meeting, then I disagree with the opinion that they are "almost always 'utterly useless.'" The 84th Precinct Council meeting is at 7:00 pm on the third Tuesday of the month and complaints made there, especially from a good turn-out, do impact how manpower is deployed. Call the 84th Precinct Community Affairs officers at (718) 875-6850 to find out where the meeting will be next week.

These are really unfortunate incidents and I feel for these people. But the people of dumbo must understand their luxury condos are very close to the projects and the risk is greater. My advice is learn self-defense and/or carry and baseball bat at night. You either get your skull smashed in or YOU bash someone's skull in. You cannot depend on the police to be there when shit goes down. We live in a sick and violent world and you MUST protect yourself from these scumbags.

it is a violent world, but we also live in a civilized society where we have police to protect citizens. it's not a free for all...so the guy who was jumped and his eye socket poked out, does he get to take an eye for an eye?

It's all the hoodlums that live in the surrounding projects who see "whitey" as an easy target. Their mindset is "Think you're all that with your $2-million condo? We'll see how tough you are walking home alone after dark." Granted, the new condo owners should have known what kind of neighborhood they were moving into - comes with the territory. Can't wait until we gentrify the entire city.

yes, we have police to protect us but you can't depend on them to be there if something happens. being jumped usually happens so fast that it's over in a blink of an eye. if someone tried to poke my eye socket out i would do my best take BOTH their eyes out as well as break their legs and knock their teeth out. you people really need to stop being so nice and step up. It's either you or them.

I think the new condo owners (myself included) knew what we were getting into when we moved over here. There's no denying the proximity of the projects, but then Manhattan and most of prime Brooklyn are hardly project free either.

I totally expected random muggings over here and I'm much more cautious now than I was when I lived in the East Village (a neighborhood with much higher crime statistics than we have here in the 84th precinct).

What I do object to is seeing the same pack of stupid kids going after people in our neighborhood every day for a week, brazenly committing violent assault in daylight hours, and the response from the police and Yassky seems to be silence. This is not random crime, this is a targeted spree and there is no excuse for ignoring it.

Rather than rage at the machine, I'd suggest making the disturning pattern of violence a news event...nothing would disrupt the developers plans more than bad news coverage. The folks with the real "grease" will help turn the wheels.

Having to live with this sort of fear is an absolute outrage. We must now be mindful of this and try not to travel alone at dusk. Be aware of your surroundings especially when a wolfpack of thugs are standing at the street corner or coming your way. Sad that we have to feel that way about a bunch of young punks looking to cause trouble in an otherwise peaceful neighborhood. There was another incident recently at superfine where someone ran in and stole all the tips that were on the bar. They literally did a swipe and grab off the bar and ran out of the restaurant. Never heard if they were caught after that.

as long as their are projects nearby you should expect shit to happen. unfortnatly it's just the way it is. a lot of ex-manhattanites who bought a luxury condo aren't used to these thing happening because this stuff rarely happens(if at all) in manhattan. what these people fail to recognize is that brooklyn is a LOT different that manhattan when it comes to crime. condo owners should have done their homework especially if they have kids.

paid security patrol is the only dependable solution. anything else is a inconsistent patch.

Just keep in mind Central park was just like this area 20 years ago. You can't change the area over night by having rich people move in. The undesirables are very hard to remove. They only target the riches.

what does one do then about the undesirable rich people?

dumbo is a small, isolated, low density neighborhood... I feel no less safe walking late at night with no one in sight in dumbo than I do walking down a quiet isolated street in tribeca or the financial district late night. With that said, being attacked in broad daylight or in front of a 24 hour grocery is just too bold. We need to stand together and get the 84th precinct on this asap.

Does anyone have any sort of description of this group? It would be very helpful if we had an idea of who and what to look out for.

Love the comments about condo owners getting what they deserve. When the "youths" get shot for "asking for 5 dollars" the shooter will get off just like Bernie did.

I lived all my life in Queens, fairly close to Brooklyn. I'm surrounded by three different housing projects. I frequently have to go through and on the outskirts of two of them. I'm not skilled with knives or guns, and don't know martial arts. I'm a skinny white guy, therefore, that makes me a target. Therefore, I'm going down fighting, regardless of the outcome to myself. It's amazing how these ratpacks of pussies from the projects who are only tough when they have strength in numbers, react when you show them some backbone. I am truly saddened by these awful attacks on these poor people. And I say, retaliate, by ANY means necessary. Keep some golf clubs by the door and be ready to go out and split open the heads of some thugs who are assaulting your neighbors.

Susan, it's exactly because the law won't let citizens defend themselves with anything other than their bare fists that the hoodlums are fully empowered to simply employ their large numbers as their weapon to fearlessly and effectively attack and overwhelm anyone - including you. Be careful what you wish for, you are getting it.

I can understand people who want to take this into their own hands and rid these scum thugs with their fists or their firearms. But is this what it has come down to? The citizens of Dumbo having to stand up to a group of punks and possibly getting hurt in the process of defending themselves? What if there are innocent bystanders or children who get hurt in the exchange or cross fire? I've read some interesting posts so far and I agree some action needs to take place. The thugs who have gotten away from robbing people and stores have already spread the message that DUMBO is ripe for the taking. So far it has been all reward for these punks and no risk because there have been no arrests or repercussions from these crimes. There will be more incidents unless something is done and the next one could be more violent.

Excuse me, but what's up with the "because of the increased number of families"???? Like single people don't count as much?

What are you, aspiring to be the next Park Slope a-holes?

Dieselfuel, this is exactly the kind of stuff that goes on in Manhattan all the time. Packs of kids have been practicing this kind of intimidation in Manhattan for years, especially in the East Village and the Lower East Side. It's very easy to throw around cliches like saying that Manhattanites are pampered jerks who don't do their homework, etc., but the fact that these kids have had the run of the neighborhood with no consequences is ridiculous and wrong, Brooklyn or not.

This is a community problem and the fact that these kids are free to run around and wreak havoc day after day is not going to bring anything but trouble to us all. If you're one of the people who thinks that only the new condo owners are going to be targeted, you could wind up finding out the hard way that your money is just as green as any of the newbies' when someone wants to take it from you by force.

I agree with Rick and think that if we can make this a news story it may force the local developers to reach out to the 84th precinct to get more police offers on the streets, if only for their own benefit. I also urge everyone to pick up the phone and call David Yassky's office to let him know that he needs to step up.

Ok -- not to gloat -- but the smugness exhibited DUMBO residents has been nothing short of intergalactic. No one deserves to be mugged, but, um, welcome to New York folks.

You can defend yourself with more than your bare fists, especially if it is multiple attackers and you have reason to believe they have a weapon. For example my friend was jumped in this neighborhood roughly a year ago and they told him they had a gun (while punching him repeatedly in the head). If he had any sort of weapon on him he could have been free to use it, operating on several assumptions about his situation and under duress.

I would consider carrying something small, concealable and passable as a non-weapon that you may have been normally carrying on your person. For example pruning shears, a box cutter, a heavy master lock you can wrap around a few fingers... all would do a much better job at taking out assailants than the hope that a cop or friendly neighbor might show up before you have your eye permanently gauged out or worse.

Can I suggest a perimeter around the Farragut Houses? Gated entry would keep the thugs out of our neighborhood and they can fight it out amongst themselves in their slum. It might also stop Dumbo's other great problem, the panhandlers who slope over from their subsidised homes to harass and mug us in our lovely neighborhood.

i'm now reluctant to even admit that i live in this area after reading some of these reactions. unbelievable. grow up.

I'll watch the neighborhood if you give me a beer

Smokey's on a diet.. if you have to give him a beer, make sure its a Michelob Ultra.

i never gotten mugged,
maybe it has something to do with being a victim, acting like a victim, walking like a victim, thinking like a victim, acting helpless, being helpless, thinking helpless,

getting mugged is a symptom of all of the above,

all you transplants have invaded nyc and think thats its safe everywhere, when you stop thinking that the police are here to help you for every little thing that disturbs you.. for example here is this link where online morons are advocating calling 911 because rocks have been placed in a bike path.

http://www.streetsblog.org/2008/03/11/hudson-ri...

im sure the local dumbo precint is filled with all these type of pansy calls regarding spoiled brats contacting 911 for every minor infraction and annoyance,

once people realize that
nyc high rents and so called luxury residences in formerly skittish neighborhoods do not equal sex&the city lifestyle, the sooner nyc will be better


the sooner people realize that high rents shared among multiple recent college grad transplants, (with absentee landlords making a mint) do not equal movie script lifestyle the sooner nyc will be better

the sooner all you pansy idiots stop thinking that your life is just like the tv show friends the sooner nyc will be better

the sooner every high school kid in minnesota realizes that nyc life is not like felicity reruns on cable the sooner nyc will be improved,

the sooner daddy realizes that paying his little girls nyc rent the sooner nyc will be better

you people make me sick
go home or toughen up.

ummm...mikenyc I think YOU may have watched too many episodes of sex and the city. You're blogging on the wrong neighborhood. I think you are referring to the hipsters of Williamsburg who priced you out of that apartment on Kent. haha. By the way can you spare some change.

-Green Hat

in a nutshell

"owners" blogging about every minor annoyance instead of toughening up and solving problems is pretty funny


like the panhandlers in front of peas&pickle
(!!! a classic !!!)

While wielding your pruning shears or boxcutter, make sure you've got a good grip on it. If you half-ass it, you've got a very good chance of it being used on you instead.

To all the assholes who post crap like "This is New York" or "what did you think moving over there" or "That's Karma for you" or otherwise see the concerned posts by responsible people as "Smugness" or "entitlement".
And if you think that "You act like a victim" you get taken like a victim,I have this to say.

There is NO excuse to be targeted by hoodlums in any way. I don't care if you are dirt poor or live near luxury housing.
It's against the law to rob and violently beat people up.
These punks need to be taught a lesson. I am white and I grew up in Crown Heights in the late 60's and 70's. We moved there from Brownsville where it was even worse at the time.
I did run home from school alot when I was young but I got tough real quick when I hit highschool
and got bigger physically.
It didn't help. when some dude wants to rob you, they will try. If a group of dudes want to rob you be prepared to get out of there or die trying.
Punks like these don't care if your acting like a victim or walking like a tough guy. If your in the wrong place at the wrong time you will be approached by this gang of dogs.
For you assholes, just think if your mother or sister was beaten and robbed.
This can be a very life changing event for someone. It's a violation of freedom to go where you please and at what time you please and to be threatened in the very place where you live.

Hopefully with time the farragut houses will be slowly changing to a more middle to low middle income people and the neighborhood will change.
From what I hear that is the long term plan for many of these low income/high crome projects that are the legacy of terrible urban planning of the 50's 60's.

For now, Get organized, get the developers and landlords to put up cameras on the street and catch these punks. Press charges so that their families will lose the status they have to occupy the cheap apartments they inhabit and force change. Make it so that it will be a lesson to the young kids in the projects that it's a very bad idea.
Peace and be careful.

DaveBK

I've said it before and I'll say it again...

I'm just amused by the irony of the fact that it's the "gentrification" that attracted these "criminals" to the neighborhood. Strollers, condos and boutiques aren't the only things that you brought with you. Some perspective is needed here. The residents of DUMBO haven't always been falling victim to roaming gangs of brazen, crime-committing youths because, frankly and admittedly, there was nothing much here worthy of committing the crime for. Just keep that in mind as you wield your bats, guns, box-cutters, golf clubs, what-have-you around our revised 'hood.

look, it all starts with smokey and crackey. every dumb f**k in this neighborhood wants to be their best friend, gives them money every time they pass by. idiots. then S&C tell others that dumbo is an easy mark, so others move in, and instead of asking for change, they're taking it by force. the evolution of crime. you have no one but yourselves to blame. had we taken a tougher stance from the get go, we'd be in a better position now, but the slippery slope was initiated and it will ruin this town. i'm selling and leaving this shithole before things get really bad. next time S&C ask you for money, tell them to go f**k themselves. i'm so sick of them and the other low lifes. i don't care if this is manhattan, brooklyn, near the projects, whatever. either we clean this place up now, or it will get away from us and it will be lost forever. and we cannot count on the dirty cops or the corrupt politicians. power corrupts, and once those bastards taste it, they're useless to the people they've sworn to protect and represent. history has proven that the police and pols will do nothing on this issue. they have done nothing in the past (save for throwing a few PR meetings and putrting in a few new streetlights -- whooppeee!!), and they will continue to do nothing.

I think everybody needs to exercise a little common sense.if you feel unsafe take a cab home if it's to late. BE ALERT at all times you can see trouble coming trust me. they will get caught if they keep up these string of muggings. (guys grow some balls and defend yourself (IF NO GUNS ARE INVOLVED)!!

Mikenyc- YOU make me sick. Saying that it is the victim's fault for being mugged- that is seriously disgusting. The sooner a-holes like you leave, the sooner NYC will be better.

Yes, some people take it too far- but there is nothing wrong with trying to improve the quality of your life and your safety no matter where you live. Certainly, taking action against violent crime such as what is being discussed here and expecting the police to do something about it is NOT an abnormal or a "pansy" reaction.

Personally I'm for the gated community idea. I would love to have a "safe zone" as suggested in one of the posts above.

However, we should remember that we will at one time or another have to leave our home and go outside of the gates. And the same problem of thugs and low lifes will exist outside the gate. Therefore this problem can't be solved with a fence a la mexico/us border. The only real way of solving this is getting a greater police presence and neighborhood crime watch group together.

Frankly, I'm surprised that it's difficult to have greater police presence especially since we're so close to the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges. What ever happened to the terrorist threat on the bridges. That cop that sits (sleeps) in his car by the entrance to the brooklyn bridge car entrance is hardly busy. Sometimes there are 2 or 3 of them over there. Why couldn't one of them patrol our neighborhood?

Sorry for the rant. But being a resident this is all very distressing.

Why does these discussions always turn into the transplants vs the implants? Go on with your lives and watch your back. Ask the panhandlers for change and beat them to it.

mental note in the mornings: Brush my teeth and get dressed. Make coffee. Make sure to bring my wallet, keys, orange box cutter, pruning shears and little can of mace. Prepare mentally to engage in hand to hand combat with aggressive disease ridden panhandlers. Go over Kra Maga techniques to defeat gang of bloodthirsty hooligan thugs. Use boxcutter only if on the ground being kicked and punched by 5 thugs. If they have guns, surrender wallet and plead for life. After all that make it to work by 9am for board meeting presentation. Piece of cake.

-Joe

NYCmike has the idea. I'm sick of limp-wristed liberal yuppies complaining about muggings. You get mugged because you're percieved as an easy target. The sooner you losers actually start fighting back and taking some responsibility for your own safety the sooner things will clean up. Instead, you run to daddy government like little crybabies and beg and plead for more cops. Grow a spine, people - the best way to clean up is to do it yourself.

Nobody forced you people to move to rat-infested DUMBO, and now it's a surprise that the gangs from the projects are hitting on the whiteys with the money. Duh,duh,duh DUMBO!

@mep: "When the “youths” get shot for “asking for 5 dollars” the shooter will get off just like Bernie did."


Bernie deserved to get off.
Bernie did the right thing.
The only 'youth' who didn't go on to commit more crimes and go to jail, was the one Bernie put in a wheelchair.

I was born in NYC and have lived in this city and a few others in this country and in Europe and never except here on this Brooklyn blog have I seen the idiocy of viewing crime as a neighborhood badge of honor as some of you seem to do.

In my early twenties I worked in an old warehouse that was converted to cheap artists lofts in a neighborhood very similar to Dumbo. We were just a block East of Cabrini Green. If you don't know what Cabrini is then you know nothing about projects. Nothing ever happened to me in that area and I'm a petite white woman -- a very easy target. Nothing has ever happened to me in any of the cities I've lived in and that's probably partly street smarts, but really it must be luck. I do know that when something is going to happen, there isn't a lot you can do about it. My uncle who is a city cop and could anyone apart with his bare hands has been shot and had part of his finger bitten off to the knuckle in the line of duty.

I have never lived in a neighborhood where people felt that they should just sit back and live with crime. This is not an entitlement thing. You will find a similar mindset in every solidly working class neighborhood in any city.

Maybe the saddest part about this (aside several absolute dirtbags in here who are taking pleasure in the brutal assault of some of their neighbors) is that this group, dangerous or not, are just stupid kids who are brave when they're in a pack.They will eventually be caught, but only after they've been allowed to commit a dozen or more counts of felony robbery and assault and that's it, they're done. Believe it or not, that is partly what the police and the laws they enforce are there for, to save us from our own worst instincts.

i know people who live around spanish harlem these days ( ilived there in the late 80's -early 90's)

they complain of their aprtments being burglarized and getting mugged walking homoe from the train.

guess why, you moved into a ghetto and pay "luxury" rents but actually have no real luxury except what is shiny & easily purchased at homedepot. its amazing what sheetrock, joint compound, new kitchen cabinets and a few gallons of paint & shellac can to do to a POS apt in the barrio.

guess who gets robbed, drunk people stumbing home,

guess who's house gets robbed, the same nitwits who sit on their stoop with their ipods and laptops showing off, the same people who move in with boxes of crap all perfectly marked and leave flat screen tv boxes and computer boxes out on the curb, the same people who wonder why they move into the ghetto and go to work every day while pretadors all around them watch their every move.

do i feel sorry for the limp wristed wuss from alabama who gets mugged no, do i feel sorry if your mom is raped, maybe, but in general nyc is and always will be for new yorkers,

i have no where to run away to since i am a born and raised newyorker,

all you morons should go home...leave new york for real new yorkers, pretty please.

i lived here all my life, i have never been mugged you need to toughen up, show some spine, grow some balls,

you run into 5 guys, look them in the eye and stand your ground. otherwise give up your wallet and make a blog entry about how the police do not escort you home and tuck you into bed everyday.

when the shit hits the fan your maintenence fees and $8 an hour doorman is not going to protect you, the cops will be home in the suburbs protecting their own families, you people are crybabies, when something serious happens like a riot, flood, war, terrorism, a blackout, you will not be able to call the police because theres aggressive pandhandlers in front of peas&pickles. if you cant handle "A GROUP OF BOYS" then you will not be able to handle a mob, a home invasion, a riot, a food shortage, a break-in, a herion addled mugger, a determined rapist, etc. etc. ect...

this so called group of boys are probably young kids cutting class with little or no parental supervision or role models, looking for easy pickings and they have found it in dumbo, they go back to the projects with cash, credit cards, laptops and IPODS! and tell all their peers in teh projects how easy it is to go get their own booty in Dumbo.

suggested legal weapons,

a roll of pennies inside your fist or glove

a glass snapple iced tea bottle

a 50 cent box cutter

a screwdriver

about 50 pages of 8x11 paper rolled up and taped tight

a bowling ball in a backpack

if you cannot use these items effectively then you might as well hand them over and prepared to be beaten by an angry perp.

if you are not strong enough to disarm an assailant then you might as well seriously rethink what made you move to a formerly desolate wasteland and be a perpetual victim.

if you cant do 20 pushups and support your own weight then you need to rethink why its more important for you to fall on the ground and cry (then blog about it)

if you cant recognize ruffians of any race or background then you should rethink why are you oblivious to your surroundings

i can go on and on, but really you people should go home to mayberry. letmommy do your laundry and play with lassie in the backyard and enjoy the rest of your life in peace.

You have to be f’ing kidding me! If I get mugged it is my fault because I am an "easy target"? And I should "fight back"? The fact is I am a woman, barely 5 foot tall and 105 pounds soaking wet. This I can't help and it also makes it impossible for me to "fight back" against a gang of men. But I shouldn't expect the cops to do their jobs? I should "grow a spine" instead??? I guess if a woman is raped, it is her fault because she dresses like a slut? Give me a f’ing break. I sure hope none of you (or your wives, moms, sisters, brothers, best friends) are ever a victim of a violent crime, but perhaps that would change your tune.

You people really make me sick. Maybe you should stop spending so much time and energy on this ridiculous "yuppie" versus "old-timer", all people who own condos are horrible people/all artists are no good argument (or whatever your idiotic, over-generalized view is) and start worrying about the safety of your fellow human beings. We should all be watching out for each other.

Most of us are not stupid- we knew the proximity to the projects when we moved here. We know that crime happens in the city and we know to use common sense. But violent crimes occurring on well traveled corners at 7 PM at night is extremely disheartening and there is NOTHING wrong with expecting the cops to do something about it!

speaking of crime, what about the incredible increase in tagging using the etching liquid. Whenever I use the York Street subway station I walk past that pathetic police unit on the platform. You cannot even see the officer inside through the defaced etched glass. This is such a humiliating state of affairs. I've also noticed an increase of the same thing on the subway cars. Every single window is now defaced by etching. Didn't Bloomberg try to stop the sale of that chemical early in his admin?

anyway... to get to my original point, it's likely the same piece-of-shit thugs doing this!!!

This has been going on for months,this happened to someone I know,he said they were very young black teenage boys and 2 girls.They were vicious,like little animals,Dumbo being so small,this group should be easy to target and arrest.There are only several exits of escape unless these little rats know how to swim,which most likely they do not.Forgive my rudeness but when they kill /GOD FORBID!/someone it will be too late for thier victim and themselves.

What a bunch of wimps. Carry a gun. Shoot them all. The cops will just mark it down as NHI (no humans involved) Every wonder why you have such predators? Predators prey because they can. You let them.

I live in AZ, and I carry a gun. Lots of folks do. Makes everyone very polite. Maybe that's why I don't worry about walking around alone at night.

For the people who believe walking around with boxcutters and going to work with a bowling ball is normal then by all means do it. If you want to stand your ground and risk your life to prove a point then be my guest. If you get hurt in the process then as the old saying goes "better you than me". Maybe then the police will realize violent crimes are on the rise in DUMBO.
For people who deal with enough headaches during the day and do not want to deal with this bullshit at any time in their daily lives. We have to get the message out there to our councilman, police, developers, etc. They are the only ones that have the resources (economically,legally and politically) to do something about this. Everyone who has a job know our taxes are absorbed into this infrastructure, let's start getting our money's worth. There is a big difference between telling a panhandler to f*** off and getting volently attacked by a group of predators. I don't care what city or area you have lived in, violent crimes are a felony which are against the law. This is America not friggin' Darfur. For the people who care we should organize.

Thom, some of us would desperately like to be able to defend ourselves against these random violent assaults, but unlike in Arizona, if we are caught with a gun here in NYC the police will arrest, prosecute, and jail _us_ instead of the badguys.

It's a case study of what strict gun control means in the real world where (surprise, surprise) the police can't be everywhere at once. The badguys know that. So they simply wait until none are around, gang up to create an insurmountable physical advantage, and use that to violently attack.

It doesn't matter if I'm a 105lb petite, shy woman or a 200lb screwdriver-toting prizefighter with a tough attitude. If I'm simultaneously attacked by a half dozen crazed youths, I'm going down.

As the saying goes, God made men, Sam Colt made them equal.

suggested legal weapons,

a roll of pennies inside your fist or glove

a glass snapple iced tea bottle

a 50 cent box cutter

a screwdriver

about 50 pages of 8×11 paper rolled up and taped tight

a bowling ball in a backpack


u forgot drinking straw with poison tipped darts .

reading this makes my day faster. keep em coming.

people need to report all suspicious behavior to the 84 pct. all encounters also. even if doesn't turn into a mugging. all women walking home from the York street station should be very alert. these scumbags just wait for women because they think here comes an easy mark. take a cab home if your to scared to walk home from the station. or get your pepper mace ready and be ready to use it. guys a daily news or NY Post will do. open it flat and start rolling it in 2 inch folds till the end, fold it in half and you have a nice homemade weapon. always aim for the chin that's where all the nerve endings are. you will be very surprise at the results. (or you can always move to the burbs)

Oh give it up "mike"nyc. Your intimate knowledge of Sex & the City and Felicity prove that you're either sitting on a la-z-boy out in Long Island where you were born and raised, or you're a girl. Either way you're clearly a total nutter with no empathy for other people.

One does not have to be a bowling ball toting Marine in order to live here. Dumbo is hardly "the barrio" or Spanish Harlem, East New York, Crown Heights, etc. And calling 911 to report a crime is not the equivalent asking the cops to come over and powder your bottom.

Thom, I'm glad you live in AZ.

any really real nu'yawka knows you should call 311 to have your bottom powdered,

911 only if you run out of baby powder.

I just spoke to someone in David Yassky's office. She said I was the fourth person to call about this issue today. They didn't know the details or the extent of these incidents and she said she was going to call the 84th Precinct right away. She just called me back and is going to have an officer from the 84th call me directly.

Please call Councilman's Yassky's office to voice your concerns: 718-875-5200. Apparently I am the only person who has been on the receiving end, or knows someone who has been assaulted by these kids to call in. If you have crossed paths with these kids, or your friend, family member, etc. has like mine, PICK UP THE PHONE. Any other concerned citizens should call in as well -- let's get some strength in numbers here.

I was told that the only way to get more police officers in the area is to reach out to Mayor Bloomberg and Commissioner Ray Kelly.

Again, please fill up their inboxes ASAP.

write to:
The Honorable Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg
City Hall
New York, NY 10007

email:
http://www.nyc.gov/html/mail/html/mayor.html

Raymond Kelly
Commissioner, NYPD
http://nyc.gov/html/mail/html/mailnypd.html

Anyone out there work for a local paper or know someone who does? I have two friends at 'The New York Times' I'm going to call. Reach out to your newspaper buddies -- a little embarrassment goes a long way for our elected officials. If that's the only way to get some support in here then I'll take it.

obviously mikenyc is only on this board to stir things up, certainly NOT to find a way to create a safer community for people (yes, just people mikenyc) to live in.
what i'm wondering is how someone that "has never been mugged" knows so much about what it takes to defend himself when being mugged. based on your own account, you have never been in a violent crime situation to have any type of first hand knowledge that would give you the right to give any type of advice. that actually makes you no different than the "non-new yorkers" you hate so much.
actually, i take that back. you are different, because you have used this forum to communicate 'hate'. i've yet to see one person that hasn't identified themselves as a "true new yorker" (and for you're information I was born and raised in new york city) to speak the way you have about others.
so please, take it somewhere else.

dear mr. yasskey

i was mugged, please send police to peas&pickles. two characters by the nicknames of smokey & cracky are making a killing.

dear mr. gloomberg,

i was mugged, please have a patrol car park in front of my luxury condo. if possible i would appreciate an escort to and from the train at night. i am more than willing to wait until we have about 4 or more residents of my building together but will not tolarate waiting longer than 10 minutes.


dear ray kelly,

please hire more police to patrol a blog called dumbonyc.com this will allow 911 to take calls from real crime victims. i think you may have already recevied a copy of my letter to our wonderful mayor and have already spoken to our councilman mr. yasskey regarding the police escorts. is it against the rules for 4 of us to sit in the backseat? would you be willing to make an exception if its raining? i think it would be wonderful if you can have the officers flash their lights as a warning to any thugs laying in wait. how long would they be allowed to wait when im picking up my dry cleaning and getting some shitakes at peas&pickles?

hire a sniper

Both of my parents are "real new yorkers" and both have been mugged several times. It doesn't mean they are less worried about getting mugged or know how to defend themselves. My mom was once mugged doing safety patrol for my school when I was younger in what is supposed to be a safe area. Bottom line is that no one is safe - anywhere - but why people are bickering about the right or wrong in this situation is beyond me. No one deserves to be mugged, no matter what their situation, and by spreading the word and creating awareness, we can help each other. It has nothing to do with people moving into this area and thinking that because of the price of their apartment that they are protected from crime. It's so lame to accuse anyone of feeling this way.

According to the officer at the 84th who I just talked to, they want any and all of us to call them ANY and EVERY TIME we witness a crime or see suspicious behavior in our neighborhood. They don't seem particularly interested in the bowling ball (or worse) vigilantism some of you propose. They want to hear from us. They said to call especially any time we see a group of kids who look like they might be up to something.

In addition to the muggings, there have been a spate of break-ins in the neighborhood, but these seem to be happening to people who have left their windows open unattended. Please, if you have been doing this, stop, for your own safety and your neighbors'.

TJ, thanks for all your useful info. I know I'll call 84th. I don't want to end up with an eyepatch.

What is the direct line phone number of the 84th Precinct?

Precinct: (718) 875-6811
Community Affairs: (718) 875-6850
Crime Prevention: (718) 875-6363
Domestic Violence: (718) 834-4579
Youth Officer: (718) 834-4581
Auxiliary Coordinator: (718) 875-6368
Detective Squad: (718) 875-6687

Has anyone with connections or clout thought of putting money where are mouths are? Since the Walentas claim to “own the whole neighborhood”, (speaking of DUMBO in a link to the Brownstoner posted on this blog), has anyone tried calling Jed or Dave away from their Cabana building to let them know that their neighborhood is being run over by violent gangs and that their Two Trees Management employees are in danger of being mugged? Do they think people will want to live in one of their over-priced condos if residents or potential residents fear it is an un-safe neighborhood? It costs money to put extra police force in the danger areas. Hey, Walenta boys, will I see you at the 84th Precinct Council Meeting next week with a donation in hand to pay for the extra men and women in blue to protect your domain? Or will you be giving away free box cutters and bowling balls outside of your Washington Street office so us DUMBO-IANS can protect ourselves? Will businesses want to renew their leases, such as the recent publishing houses that have moved to DUMBO, if daytime office robberies continue?

We all should be contacting Bloomberg’s office because that is where the buck stops. DUMBO has been cited in many publications of late as being a tourist destination. Tourism brings in SSSSSS! Upcoming events such as the NY Photo Festival, Brooklyn Designs and the Art under the Bridge Festival that expect to draw hundreds of thousands into DUMBO, as well as the Landmarked Historic Preserved status DUMBO was recently granted will certainly bring the NYC Red Apple Tour busses into the area. Maybe the Mayor’s office needs to know that these gang attacks are threatening to cut off the cash flow that DUMBO can ultimately bring into the city purse.

Finally, I want to hire Smokey to patrol my neighborhood. I live down the block from the scene of the recent crimes, my fridge is constantly stocked with cold beer and currently its Michelob Ultra because I am also on a diet.

Today I was robbed in my office at 55 Washington Street. I noticed two young black males standing around my front door. I asked them if the needed any help and they said they were looking for a music producer. I told them we don't do that here. After they left I noticed my wallet was missing from my jacket. I took off running after them and caught up to the two thugs at the corner of Adams and Front. They were getting a Cab from the Promenade Car Service. I told them I wanted my wallet back and they acting like they didn't steal it. They said, "search me". Eventually, the taller of the two, gave me back my wallet and said that he'd found it on the ground. BULL SHIT. I told Two Tree MGNT about it and all they could say was that they are trying to increase security. Later that day I was looking for a laptop in the office and it was missing. I called the cops and the yelled at me about leaving our door open!! WTF!! Promenade told me the two were dropped off at Hoytt and Douglas. The projects. As I was leaving work there were tons of COPS around, cars I should say, the only COPS I saw were eating pizza inside the Front Street Pizzeria.

cops ain't gonna do nothin', i tells ya. get real. they don't want to be bothered with this petty shit. they're just gonna keep telling you to 'call this or that office' and 'you must lodge a formal complaint with councilman shitbag' etc. the cops in this nabe just want to illegally park everywhere on front and washington and stuff their faces with strombolis (fyi, front st pizza has been here for 20 years, long before all of us, and the owners family are all cops, that's why they're always in there, and over the years it's become a hang out for cops -- ever notice how the owners/employees illegally park in front of the hydrant and put that pizza box on the windshieled to let the cops know who they are so they don't get ticketed? i wonder what would happen if i tried that, maybe with my briefcase instead of a oizza box. and why do you think FSP was allowed to keep those godforsaken, delapidated, death trap tables on the sidelwalk so long last summer? they is connected, yo.). anyway, grab your uzis...it's time for an old-fashioned street war. let's do this shit!

doesnt anybody think that its kind of strange that people would need to blog, write letters, make phone calls and generally bitch and complain about creating a comunnity,

which is really indicative about how a community doesnt really exist just because you have stuffed high priced rentals and so called luxury condos into one area

im sure owners and developers would be interested in squashing this internet drama, after all if word gets out that dumbo is all about getting mugged in front of peas&pickles, prices will fall, values will plummet, resales will sit unsold, flips will flop

im glad you got mugged, keep getting mugged, i hope every evil person who has an evil agenda get themselves to dumbo quickly.

as for anybody saying 'ive never been mugged' i meant ive never been mugged to completion or had to give up my property,

as for anybody trying to claim female 105 soaking wet status you are still percevied as a victim, you are percevied as prey,

you do not need a man to protect you and you may not have an interest in men, but its pretty obvious that the vultures and predators know that there are no real able bodied men among your "community" and "nieghbors" willing to step up to the plate and protect you.

mugger one: lets go to dumbo and rob some ipods

mugger two: what if people see us or try to stop us

mugger one: no they only blog about what happens after it happens,

bunch of wusses.
pansies...

I saw mikenyc running round the neighborhood in pink lycra jogging pants and a crop-top. just thought I'd share that with you.. now can I have a beer?

today in nyc history...

Kittie genovese!

sounds like dumbo needs another one!

If a gang of thugs are rollin up on you. Youz should form your own gang and roll up on them (much like the Cripsters from Williamsburg aka Killemsburg). Peace to all my babies mommas pushin the bugaboos.

i saw mikenyc in pink pants getting roughed up by 13 yr olds. he gave reached arounds but just before completion quickly escaped so he can post ongoing responses on some of his favorite blog sites and download bee movie. dude is one the fiercest people with a computer around.

Looks like most of the posts reflect a community of people that made the genetic jump to actual human beings. To the "tough guys that have never encountered an attack but could handle it" who have yet to make that jump, sorry to hear it. 9 years ago I was jumped. I'm big. I fought back and did some damage on one of them but the other four or five that caught up to us took me out in seconds. I have four titanium plates in my face and a rebuilt eye socket to prove it. No, the metal detector at the airport does not go off. Those odds are impossible to overcome. Mikenyc, you are a moron and not perceptive enough to realize that everyone thinks of you as a classless joke. Goes for anyone that agrees with him. Please find some dignity.
My heart goes out to the victims. I felt an extreme vulnerability afterwards that took some time to overcome. No one should have to go through this. The attackers are animals.
Action by way of councilmen, precincts, our mayor makes great sense. Our family has made the calls and I hope we all can create some pressure for action.

miked, I'm so sorry to hear what happened to you years ago. Thank you for taking the time to talk some of us would-be Rambos down and to write a brilliant rebuttal to those who have made the most hateful and ignorant comments in this thread.

I have been in touch with my friends at the NY Times and they're working on this, but in all fairness they're more the Jimmy Breslins of the Style section than of the City pages. I emailed 'The City Room' this morning and would urge all of you to do the same so we can try to get this crime spree documented in the news and put under the noses of the Mayor and Commissioner Kelly.

cityroom@nytimes.com

your all abunch of pansies.

i hope your mom gets mugged.

i hope your sister gets mugged.

i hope your wife gets mugged.

enjoy your point&click activism, it will really help!!

mikenyc, please lay off the HGH and go back to your analysis of chick television, that was far more interesting and informative than your recent contributions. Or perhaps you could write your diatribes into more constructive, digestible columns, such as 'How To Singlehandedly Take Out A Pack Of Armed 17 Year Olds With A Simple Roll Of Pennies!' You could be the Martha Stewart of vigilantism.

My name is Mike. I'm an angry and lonely 43-year-old living in my parents basement in Hoboken. I graduated from high school but never went to college. I work as a security guard at the Mall at Short Hills, which gives me the mistaken belief that I have some kind of power. When I hit on the MILFs coming and going from Victoria's Secret and Coach, they laugh at me or avert their eyes. I have a large collection of throwing stars and numchuks, and can quote "Enter The Dragon" line by line. My name is Mike. And I am an asshole.

Look folks, the only way to deal with with childish people is to ignore them. Don't take the bait, that's all they want.

Again, please call David Yassky’s Office at:

718-875-5200

Yes, I think it is time we all ignore his childish crap. (although I have gotten several good chuckles from some of the responses here, so thank you for that). We all know Mikenyc is the real pansy here.

Nice to see the community (yes, this IS a real community) pull together to like this. Kudos to everyone who has made a phone call, written a letter, etc, etc.

Giuliani come back!!!

Boy do I miss Rudy. This would never happen in his city.

Seriously, this is a huge problem and the police must be held responsible and the community (yuppies, artists, gentrifiers, respectable families living in the projects) must come together to make themselves heard. I live in Harlem for the past 15 years and now there are always police around because the community made itself heard. Harlem was bad 10 years ago but the people are now proud of it. I live only two blocks from the projects and have never had a problem. I am a skinny white guy and I easily walk through the projects without trouble. This is not a problem to be dismissed. This is a serious neighborhood problem and everyone should be concerned.

After reading all these posts I made the effort and called yassky's office. It was very simple and easy to do. I too hope that all residents, worker's, etc. of DUMBO will attend that 84th precinct meeting. Remember it's still cold out and people are getting robbed, mugged and assaulted. Can you imagine what will happen here when it get's warmer. It may not be a couple of kids but instead we could be seeing gangs of thugs around here. Oh... and mikenyc your g@y.

Anybody remember back in the days of arguing about the "bums" me saying a little something about improving the WHOLE neighborhood including the "undesireables"? No? Guess what. Farragut IS your neighborhood. They are a part of your community. And when we could have been using are energy and resources to improve the entire neighborhood, helping these same people by creating opportunites before mugging was the best economic alternative, we were painting the F**ing cement GREEN.

Yes, you should be concerned with your fellow neighbors. No one deserves to be a victim of violent crime. But classically we have futhered the socioeconomic chasm that aggrevates crimes like this by selfishly ignoring those who needed our help.
You're right. Government housing projects failed. Turns out putting all the poor people in one place was bad urban planning 50 years ago. What are we going to do now so that we never have to have conversations like this again?

This Us and Them shit has got to stop.

(... I feel like a f**ing cassandra over here...)

Hello,
I'm an assignment desk coordinator at News 12 Brooklyn and after reading this blog, I'm hoping a few people will come forward to speak with us. We definitely want to cover this story, so if anyone has been affected by this increase in crime directly or indirectly, please give us a call at 718-861-6818 or news12bkln@news12.com.
Thanks

exactly SIGH,

im disgusted by the ideas presented here...

"having more police"
more police means more harassment and profiling of minorities

"lets make dumbo a gated community!"
get real! how will vistors get to galleries and restaurants, will all white people be allowed a pass and minorities receive scrutiny by some rent-a-cop.

you will never have a safer community as long as all your efforts are focused on generating phone calls and letters. you are part of a bigger socio-economic problem, your pansy pandering is part of a mental problem, your sense of self entitlement is part of a problem, your sense of community and activism through
point&click-tivism is part of the problem.the fact that an entire so-called community of high-rent & high priced condo dwellers are so unaware of their immediate surroundings of part of the problem, the fact that a majority of your community is oblivious to the disparity of riches at your doorstep is part of the problem.

and to quote SIGH
"Yes, you should be concerned with your fellow neighbors. No one deserves to be a victim of violent crime. But classically we have futhered the socioeconomic chasm that aggrevates crimes like this by selfishly ignoring those who needed our help.
You’re right. Government housing projects failed. Turns out putting all the poor people in one place was bad urban planning 50 years ago. What are we going to do now so that we never have to have conversations like this again?"

further...
putting a bunch of rich people in one place where they have never existed before is part of the problem...
dumbo was cool years ago when LIC was cool, when wiliamsburg was cool, im talking about 1992. not 2002,3,4,5,6,7, or even 2008.

never in my life have i heard all this bitching and moaning by a bunch of self styled privleged adult brats.

you complain about panhandlers! this is new york get used to it.
you complain about not having services? then why the hell did you pay through the nose and buy into the hype about dumbo?

dont say your not rich, your paying so called "market" rents and buying into over hyped developments and asking for the world, your asking to be treated special, your asking to be treated better than everyone else in new york,

connie from news 12, you may find some sympathetic stories about some lilly white mom and get a photo op with her little tyke in a bugaboo with the horrible story of how she was mugged and feared for her life, but really the problem is an entire neighborhood is being victimized by self-victimization

go get thee mugged today, you deserve it.

mikenyc and sigh you guys/girls make perfect sense. I'm going to pack up my stuff and move back to Illinois.

Everyone should continue calling Yassky's office. I noticed two cops on foot patroling on Front Street and Washington Street last night around 9pm. They were present for quite some time. I think the calls are working.

Three white people get mugged next to the projects in DUMBO: Stop the presses! Call the mayor!

Over 200 robberies, felony assaults and burglaries in Brownsville in 2008 alone: Where's Brownsville?

73rd Precinct Stats:
http://www.nyc.gov/html/nypd/downloads/pdf/crim...

Listen close, to what we say,
Because this type of shit happens every day...

I'm not saying anyone (even from Illinois) doesn't deserve to live here. You should be here, and bring all of your talents and resources with you.

I'm just saying this idea of "otherness" is making a bigger problem.

What does Farragut (or anyone else for that matter) need to develop into a more productive element of the community? We moved into this neighborhood 6 years or 6 months ago and maybe we have a responsibility to "look after our Fellow Citizens" as everyone keeps repeating...

When crime goes up in our neighborhood -- all parts of our neighborhood -- then it's up to members of the community to step up, work together and make their concerns known. Same goes for every neighborhood in the five boroughs. New York could use a lot more squeaky wheels.

The city and so many others have really fallen down for years in terms of offering the appropriate, care, funding, maintenance, services, etc. for their housing projects. It is time or the city to step up and try to fix what they've allowed to become so broken, for the residents of Farragut especially, and the sake of our neighborhood as a whole. In the meantime, crime will only beget more crime. If the police presence falls off and we continue to send the message that Dumbo is free for the taking, people will show up to get the goods. If members of the community get jumped, see their friends and neighbors get attacked and local businesses continue to robbed time and time again, some may decide to arm themselves and eventually someone is going to get killed. Yesterday a man in Yassky's office told me he worries that this -- a fatality -- is what it's going to take for their to be an appropriate police presence in our neighborhood.

Please keep calling Yassky, writing to the Mayor and Ray Kelly. Reach out to anyone else you can think of and ask the rest of us to do the same. And PLEASE attend the 84th precinct meeting next Tuesday, 7pm, 50 Jay Street.

i hope someone swipes your $400 pda smart phone tonight

i hope someone grabs that ipod this afternoon

i still hope and pray everyday that another yuppie gentrifier gets his ass kicked & his clock knocked

i hope this happens many times on a daily basis

i hope your wife fears for her life exiting the train

i hope your grandpa gets jumped and brained with a steel pipe when he visits you

i hope your mom gets felt up in your elevator by a fresh direct delivery guy

i hope your child is hit by an errant gunshot while walkiong down front street

i wish your cousins are laid out on the sidewalk and their blood gushes into the gutter becuase this is what you punk ass punks deserve

im already well on my way to hell for my sins, im only hoping a whole bunch of you get to keep me company when i get there.

Wow mikenyc, that is some pretty serious bile. You are a truly hateful person. I can only hope that your [sic] a 15-year-old miscreant sitting at your computer in Denver or For Lauderdale or somewhere else far away from me and my family in DUMBO.

You probably get off on the idea that you are upsetting the reasonable and respectful members of this online community. You are just standing in a corner screaming your lungs out, and you have made yourself hard to ignore. Your greatest joy is getting somebody wound up enough to address you directly, as I am doing right now.

Whatever it is that makes you come to this site to vent your ill-humor, I hope that you can one day overcome. Take care of yourself, mikenyc.

Mikenyc aren't you smokey? sorry i didn't give you change the other night, i was watching my back.

Hey MikeNYC, watch your back.

Damn MikeNyC, you sound angrier than me and my name is angry black. what up with that? i'm also a security guard in NJ, i work at the DairyQueen on Evans Ave. See you at the convention in Delaware next month. I bet it'll be hot again? remember those pink flamingos!!! you were crazy that night, too much zima.

*sigh*, you ever here the phrase "white man's burden"? I think you are the biggest racist to sign in on this thread. You are an example of that soft and cuddly racism. The kind that says poor black people are helpless and it is our duty to dole out some kindness.

Think someone needs therapy?

The difference between the rest of us and you, Mikenyc, is that no matter how hateful and horrible you are, we wouldn't wish any of those things on you.

Get some help, you clearly need it.

All I'm saying is to this thread is if you think Farragut is a problem (which I was not first assert), don't bitch, don't put up a "gate" to keep the poor people out, go f**ing fix it.

Some of the posters on this blog need to realize that DUMBO is not or never will be the same DUMBO as it was in the 1990’s. It is the DUMBO of 2008, and like it or not, it has changed in the same way many neighborhoods in New York have drastically changed over the past decade. The Bowery is no longer recognizable as the Bowery anymore but now also has over-priced apartments and a Whole Foods market. “Needle Park” was what Thompkins Square Park used to be referred to in the seventies and even in the 1980’s there was a shanty town of the homeless residing there. Today the park is filled with families with children whose parents must earn 50 times the rent in order to have an apartment near there.

Call it gentrification, evolution or whatever you wish, but neighborhoods change over the course of time. DUMBO has changed and will continue to change, but it’s up to the current community here to decide if it will become crime laden or a community that cares about one another. Wishing muggings on your fellow neighbor through poetic rants like some posters here are doing will not make the “yuppies” move out of the neighborhood and make it the same as it was ten years ago. Saying that good art cannot exist in this now “trendy” neighborhood is a cop out, it is up to the artist to overcome and still make good art. It is also up to those whose wallets are fuller to support the artists financially who struggle to live in area when rents have gotten obscenely high.

I am all for more social services in DUMBO to improve the existence of those living in the nearby Farragut housing. I am all for a soup kitchen, an after school recreation program to open up in DUMBO that could possibly deter the “boredom” that leads to some of the teens wanting to engage in these muggings. In order for social services to be effective though, people must partake of them. I have family that have been just as down and out if not worse (addicted, poor) as the beggars and thugs in this neighborhood and today they are making good money and are clear thinking, but it took a choice to change.

I agree with Roger from Harlem that communities can change a crime infested neighborhood and contacting the authorities are part of the solution. Stamford, Connecticut has several times made the top ten list for safest small U.S. cities and yet there are The Projects right in Stamford. I used to work in Stamford and I can assure you there is also a very visible police presence in Stamford. As far as racial profiling by the cops, the community here must also be just as vocal and firm that we will not allow this to happen in any way and show public outrage if it occurs.

there you go again. What are we suppose to fix Sigh? What am I suppose to do, advertise for a currency trader on light poles in the projects?

I forgot, needle park is actually the meridian running up Broadway starting at 72 not Tompkins. Old Dame, you don't get out much do you. I've taken toys and games over to the Boys and Girls Club on the other side of Farragut. It is very busy afther school and on weekends. A soup kitchen? This isn't 1930! How does a soup kitchen relieve boredom. These kids want Ipods and cash, not soup.

Hey loose stool how about encouraging them and helping them with ways to make their own money to purchase their own Ipods and have their own cash instead of sending them a message that it is okay and cool to beat up on others and take the things that you want. Hey, I know social services are not a band aid but neither is it helping any kid to allow them to think it is okay to brutalize and take from your fellow man. It sucks out their humanity and stifles their potential of what they can be and are as individuals and the value they could bring to us all. I am so old and out of touch could you please give my rocker a push and go get another beer for me from my fridge?

I'm not sure why you all think the people in Farragut are living in grinding poverty. I suspect you will find the same kind of class divisions you find in any neighborhood. Also the chances are the muggers are not from Farragut. Eliot Spritzer would agree, " don't shit where you live!"

what did I say that encourages them to rob and steal?

When you have "poor" scum robbing you with their $100 "kicks" on, then they do not deserve any pity or my help. My taxes pay for them to live in a 3 bedroom apt that houses their 5 kids with 5 diff men, and also get free parking. These people have no incentive to get off of welfare, as they will lose such a sweat deal. Tear those PJs down and make people earn their money.

These "poor" people spend all their illegally gotten money (from robbery and/or medicaid) on stupid crap like "grills", "rims" and other useless junk. If you are so "poor" then you would choose to spend your money more wisely, but alas there is no incentive when you dont earn anything. It is like a 24/7/365 shopping spree. Just look at Fulton mall...

Worst decision ever made by NYC was to put most projects on precious waterfront property.

LOL great. Wait until the J Condoites on the "poor" side get the party in the playgrounds at Farragut this summer. Ditto for 99 Gold now that the church is down.

i for 1 respect mikenyc! remain strong my dude and never quit hoping! hope is all you got and NO ONE can take that from you. wait, hope didn't get you much in life (can i presume? great). so perhaps hope can be removed. i hope you'll still dream.

i have to admit that i'm impressed by the recent police reaction to these incidents.

there must be some very influential people who care about this.

There were officers at the corner of Bridge and Front Streets last night! I have to say that I am completely amazed by the police response and I just wanted to thank everyone who has been reaching out to the police and our elected officials. And I especially want to thank the amazing people who intervened in these crimes putting themselves at considerable risk.

Please keep reaching out and try to attend the 84th precinct meeting on Tuesday otherwise we may only have the extra officers on our streets until it's felt that the buzz from these incidents has blown over.

1. We need to get involved and organized. People should carry cameras. If they see something going down - take a photo fast. AFTER ALL, that's how abu ghraib was exposed. Even a bad photo can be closely scanned for details like eyes/nose/mouth/ears (a face).

2. Complaining about newcomers is pointless. I'm not a condo dweller, but all neighborhoods 'change'. This means people come and go.

3. Calling the cops lazy is maybe the stupidest thing you can do. They're not omniscient or super-human, but they come in pretty handy when they're saving your ass.

4. MikeNYC is a weirdo. Ignore him. Anyone who romanticizes violence is a weirdo.

Crime's going up all over Brooklyn ... I noticed the trend starting during the last few months of 2007. Anyone who says otherwise either doesn't live here, has a vested interest in lying, or is completely clueless.

Crime in Williamsburg/Bushwick, etc., is starting to get really out of hand ... it almost feels like the 90s. Gang beatings every weekend around popular nightspots, muggings at gunpoint, car break-ins, apartment break-ins ... if this is happening during the winter, what's the summer going to look like?

People, please stop saying "NYC is super safe!" That attitude is misleading, false, and actually makes Brooklyn, and NYC as a whole, less safe.

we need to close the pool halls and get the whippersnappers off hooch. Reminds me of a song.

We got trouble. I say
We got trouble right here in River City.
That starts with T and rhymes with P and that stands for POOL!

I was in williamsburg the other night at around 8pm. a car (maybe a late 80s t-bird) with regular license plates started flashing police lights that were installed in its grill, and proceeded to pull over another car.

three goons got out of the car - young men in their mid-20's and proceeded to harass the driver - a male in his late 20s. they had him outside his car. one of the kids had a flashlight and at one point was shining it inside his car.

- at least this was my interpretation of the scene from a distance (it was dark). I couldn't hear what was being said. I waited at a safe distance to make sure the guy was okay. everyone finally left the scene without incident.

while i waited (maybe 10 minutes) I called 911 to report that these guys were impersonating officers and harassing someone. the moron i spoke with really couldn't have cared less. he did nothing about it.

this isn't related to this post exactly, but the same thing could happen anywhere in brooklyn. i don't think you need to pull over in nys for an unmarked car (but in this case it was too dark to tell it was unmarked.

i know - i should have gotten the license plate number.

Thanks for Blowin" our Cover!!

Pete, Linc, and Julie

I attended the meeting at Phoenix House last night of the 84th Precinct council. The Police are interested in dealing with the problem. They have increased patrols and put both undercover and uniformed cops into the area.
When you see a crime in progress call 911 not 311. When you see someone suspicious call 911. They claim their average response time to a crime in progress call is under 5 minutes.Calling the precinct doesn't get cops dispatched to the scene. They have to call 911 to get the patrol car to respond as well.
They have caught someone who had been burglarizing some of the stores.
If the person mugged(or someone who saw it happen) doesn't report it as far as they are concerned it never happened. Resources are allocated based on reported crimes. Its clear they are concerned about the incidents.
They did suggest that if the community wants to do something about it they should make sure their door people come outside and not just stay inside their doors. Having them out on the street creates eyes on the ground. The precinct is willing to send both its community affairs officers and crime prevention officers to meetings to go over what can be done. Call community affairs at 1718 875 6850. You will talk with either Freddie or Sal and they will try to do something.

Last comment about private police. My experience with private police is not good. You can expect an increase in property crimes if you do...

I don't believe acting as a crime preventing watchman on the street is a doormans job.

Doormen stand in front of their buildings to keep an eye out for their residents in Manhattan all the time. That's why they're called Doormen and not Lobbymen.

Yes, that would be to OPEN THE DOOR for them, carry packages, and make sure undesirables who have no business being there aren't there. They aren't COPS.

"...and make sure undesirables who have no business being there aren’t there."

That's all that's being asked of them -- to be an extra set of eyes on the street.

AREN'T IN THE BUILDING. I wasn't referring to the street. Clearly, I'm wasting my time.

There are good reasons why you see doormen in Manhattan stand outside their buildings periodically throughout the day and night even when they're not actively helping tenants in and out of the building or taking a break.

No one is asking them to be cops.

http://www.nyc.gov/html/nypd/html/permits/handg...

This is a link to the NYPD application for a handgun. Mind you, it doesn't cover carrying a concealed weapon but at the very least it shows that you are not just flouting the law entirely.

So much for my arguments that the 2nd Amendment was only intended for states to raise a militia. The last thing I want to do is to promote a gun-toting citizenry and I am not a card-carrying member of the NRA but unfortunately its becoming apparent that, in certain circumstances, even reasonable and normal individuals sometimes have to act outside their comfort zone. In my case, its taking a proactive step to protect myself. I have no choice but to walk alone late at night with a small dog and I don't plan on becoming a statistic. I'd prefer to do what is necessary to protect my life, if need be. Meetings and discussions are important but if the result of those meetings is a bunch of empty promises and a 'don't worry, we'll take care of it' response, I prefer to take matters into my own hands, literally.

Every spring for the last 6 years that I have worked in Dumbo, the packs of kids run wild for a few weeks until the cops get wise and bust a few of them until it calms down. Yes in other years there have always been similar assaults. The answer is all of the above people. You already know the answers.
-Engage your local precinct (not just when you need them).
-Write letters to Yassky, Markowitz, Kelly, Bloombot
-Write letters to press. Eagle actually gets things moving among Yassky and Markowitz.
-Do what the police suggest.
-Report suspicious behaviour.
-Start a neighborhood patrol, groups of 3 or more to make a presence.
-Require doormen to regularly post outside as well as inside.
-Install cameras on buildings. Install fake cameras if you can't install real cameras.
-Be careful. Partner up at night. Seriously.
-Carry mace, a cane, an umbrella, a gun, whatever is your legal flavor and use it.
-If provoked yell loud as hell, try to go inside an open business and if out of options put up a fight while yelling loud as hell. Teenagers run fast as hell, don't bother running.
-Don't expect blogging to solve anything.

deja vu to new york city of the 1970's..welcome back to hell...and obamaland where your safety and security comes second to political correctness and the redistribution of everything one worked hard for...where is Rudy!!!Rudy for major, Rudy for governor, Rudy for senator, Rudy for president!! Keep voting in your liberal politicians brooklyn and all will keep deteriorating. I know, your just making a better world for your kids!

This thread is full of f*c&#n sissies.

1) In regards to the bowling ball idea....bravo! Please let us all know when you do that so I can put a face on such a brilliant thought.
2) I know it's empowering to rant on a blog, but save the bravado please. If any of you had any balls you wouldn't be bitching behind an anonymous thread.
3) A couple robberies and you are supporting the citizen militia? Please.....get a life. That's why there is so much gun violence. If you are scared then just say it...don't think you're fooloing anyone when you read about a couple robberies and start talking about carrying a firearm to foragers. LOSER
4) No-one deserves to get robbed. No-one. But some of you deserve to be bitch slapped for all your whining. If you can't handle the reality of life in NYC, leave. Simple as that. There's open spots in gated communities all over long island and from what it seems- many of you would be far more comfortable there. The people you keep referencing are from Brooklyn. This is their neighborhood too- like it or not. If some juvenile delinquent kids are committing crimes, then that is the problem, not the "projects". The majority of people at Farragut are good people who are poor and are struggling to get by just like most people in this country right now.
5) If you can't realize that Mikenyc is deliberately trying to provoke you, you are simply not very bright. Recognize that, accept it and try to make the best out of your life with what you have to work with- but avoid intellectual debate in front of thos you want to impress.

Oh and Tessie, after reading that, I'm willing to bet that if anything, MY tax dollars are going to be "redistributed" to people like yourself, so being that I'm not complaining about it, I'd rather you just said thank you.

It happened again, Sunday? Where are the police????

it must be nice for an coward like yourself to have discovered a medium where you can spew your ignorance anonymously. what a big man you are. your tax dollars- please