From the inbox

Just wanted to let you know my husband has been trying to call the 66 for the last 15 minutes to make a noise complaint and there is no answer! Seriously, no answer! We checked and re-checked the number thinking we were wrong but its correct. We didn't want to call 911 because its not an emergency but this is ridiculous. In case you're wondering we were calling b/c the Mexican restaurant on the corner of E5th and Church Ave has decided 11pm until now, 11.40pm, was the appropriate time to power wash the store w an insanely loud generator.

Thoughts?

66 Postponed BUT.....

We got word the meeting w the 66 was postponed due to the Holiday. Regardless, we hear there will be some cars on Church Ave near Story and Chester being towed! And, de Blasio's office is looking for a volunteer to lock the playground at PS 230 in the evenings.... Anyone out there know a local resident being driven crazy by the nighttime shenanigans who wants that responsibility? (e-mail us off blog if you'd like some info about the locking of PS230).

Upcoming 66 Meeting

One local reached out to us b/c they'll be meeting w the community rep from the 66 precinct as well as a member of de Blasio's team. We are looking for local quality of life issues he should address w these representatives. From what we've heard we suggested he mention the following items:
1. Sidewalk parking and unlicensed vehicles on Church Ave b/w Story and Chester
2. Late night crowds and ball playing at PS230
These are the major disruptions to quality of life in Kensington that we repeatedly hear about but let us know if you have any others to pass on. The meeting will take place on Friday so get 'em in quick to include.

Sidewalk Parking on Church Ave

We've gotten a bunch of emails about the two garages on Church Ave b/w Story and Chester parking licensed and unlicensed vehicles on the sidewalks. We've dealt w this issue before and will pass on the information we received back in June when six cars and two vans (all unlicensed) were towed from that area.

At the 66 precinct there are two detectives specifically for issues like this. Both Detective Milici and Detective Galeno are within the Community Affairs Unit and can be reached at (718) 851-5601. We urge residents to call them w complaints. Lastly, all conversations w CAs are typically confidential. Basically they convey the complaint but not who it comes from.

Accident Heightens Need for Bumps

A livery cab driver was killed early this morning at the corner of Church and Ocean Parkway (not Ocean Avenue as the article states).
A 22-year-old driver was arrested and is facing DWI charges after a crash early Wednesday morning in Brooklyn that killed a man, who had stepped out of his car to assist another driver. The multi-car accident happened around 1:20 a.m. when police say a green Lincoln Town Car from the Concord Limousine Service was disabled at the point where the Prospect Expressway becomes Ocean Avenue.

Driver Arrested After Fatal Car Accident On Prospect Expressway (NY1)

Police: One in Custody After Fatal Brooklyn Crash (1010 Wins)

Good Samaritan livery cab driver struck, killed (Ch. 7)

Livery Cab Driver Killed In Brooklyn; Man Charged With DWI (msnbc)

This is the exact location local residents have proposed for speed bumps. You can sign the ipetition for these speed bumps here.

National Night Out!

We stopped by the 72 (top) and the 70 (bottom) night out events yesterday evening and gotta say the 70 put the 72 to shame. First to the 72's event at Greenwood Playground to get our bike etched but when we showed the guy had just left! Regardless, we got to talk to a few officers about our concern about the Fort Hamilton entrance ramp. The ramp that goes over the space where the Prospect Expressway turns into Ocean Pkwy has always struck us as a little dangerous. The kid cross walk triangle of the Greenwood playground, the WT library and PS130 all meet at that light and well cars and trucks tend to book down the ramp to make the light! We were told a speed bump would probably not be the best solution since most continue to speed and end up going airborne causing more damage. Fair enough.

Since they didn't have the bike guy though we pedalled over to the 70's event at the Parade Grounds and were met w a huge crowd, bbq, bouncy things for the kids (2 of 'em) and the bike etcher. We were pumped to see so many men in blue out on the street and now have the bikes registered w the 70.

In fairness our home precinct, the 66, also held an event but the 16th Ave location was out of the way for the evenings plans. Anyone got goods on how the 66 event went down?

Nearby National Night Out!

National Night Out Against Crime - 76
Tuesday August 7th
5 pm - 8 pm
Greenwood Playground (off E5th St. b/w Greenwood and Fort Hamilton Aves)
For details contact Frank Siclary, Community Affairs officer (76), 718-965-6326

National Night Out Against Crime - 66
Tuesday August 7th
6 pm - 8 pm
In front of Precinct at 5822 16th Avenue
For details contact Community Affairs Unit (66), (718) 851-5601

National Night Out Against Crime - 70
Tuesday, August 7th
6.30-9.30 pm
Parade Grounds on Caton Ave (b/w Rugby and Argyle and ball fields 8 & 9)
For details contact Community Affairs officer (70), 718 851-5557

PS 230 - Unlocked gate draws nightly crowd and vandalism

Another from the inbox....

Ever since they installed the basketball hoops in the Albemarle Playground (shares lot w PS 230) there are people playing in the park at all hours. My husband is kind of an insomniac and he says most nights there are people in the park until around 3 in the morning. Some times its only a couple of guys playing a game that is fairly quiet and other nights it’s a group of people playing quite loudly. I don’t know if the cops ever go by that park and kick people out. I have never seen that happen. I also have not been calling the police or the 311 b/c I know 311 will just tell me to call the police and I know the 66th is not the most responsive precinct. The last time I called them about something I found the officers were extremely rude to me and basically told me they didn’t want to be bothered unless it was a serious crime. Since then I have been extremely reluctant to call the police.

Also before they did the renovation on the schoolyard they had an emergency meeting with people from the community, Brooklyn Deputy Commissioner from the parks departments, deblasio’s office and some representatives from the 66th precinct. One of the MAIN concerns people had was that the park would be used like this if the basketball courts were installed. The police assured the people at the meeting, and my husband personally, that they would patrol the park to make sure this wasn’t an issue.

I have had several neighbors tell me they also hear the same noise but I don’t know if any of them are calling 311 or the police, my feeling is that they are not. I plan to start calling the police and being as annoying as possible but thought you could post this to get some feedback on the course of action I should take.

So, does anyone have experiences like this at their local playground? We know the Friends of Greenwood coordinated with the parks department to have a local neighbor have a key to lock the park in case of issues like this....

Here are some of our thoughts. First, you must report this to the 66. This is a quality of life issue and should be taken seriously. If it is not then you can contact the Community Affairs Unit at (718) 851-5601 or Special Operations Officer, Lieutenant Selleck at (718) 851-5637. The CA would be your first go to if your complaint is ignored. Lieutenant Selleck directly oversees the units that are responsible for correcting many of the issues written about on the blog (like the unlicensed vehicle issue etc.). Secondly, this issue must be brought to the attention of local Representatives (i.e. Bill de Blasio or Jim Brennan). A park without lights and security is a breeding ground for illegal activity. This should certainly become a priority to local police and representatives. Finally we would suggest joining the local Dahill Neighborhood Association and attending the meetings with your neighbors. While we've found that a single complaint is shrugged off when many people make the same complaint it is heard. If none of this works take some video and send it here for posting... if it still doesn't get a response well at least we're maintaining our nancy drew/provinical vigilante-ness!

Abandoned Van Towed

We did extensive posts on the unlicensed vehicle saga over near Story St. and Church Ave. Thankfully after a very productive Dahill Neighborhood Assoc. meeting many of the vehicles kept illegally on the streets (crowding residential parking and ignoring their issued tickets) by the garages at 45 and 49 Church Ave. were towed.

We checked in recently and although we noticed lots of out of state cars and trucks parked in that area as well as vehicles parked on the sidewalk no unlicensed vehicles were around with the exception of the van pictured above. The last bone of contention for many of the nearby residents was of course the sidewalk parking and that van. Well, today we got an update from a neighbor that the final unlicensed van, rumored to be housing, was towed. While we certainly feel for anyone in this predicament realize to those who live in that area this is a welcome relief.

We praise the 66 precinct for staying on top of resident's concerns and hope local services were put into place if there was in fact someone living in the van. Our hunch though is the van was used as a night look out for these businesses.

66 Update

Working hard to drive down the crime rate - 66th Police Precinct salutes crackerjack cop (Courier Life - 6/2/07)

According to the most recent police statistics, crime is down by just over seven percent for the year. As of May 20, a total of 469 felony crimes were reported, 37 fewer than the 506 reported during the same month in 2006. As of the meeting on May 17, no homicides had been reported to the command, officials said. The highest drop in crime – other than rape, which saw a fifty percent reduction for the year – was in car thefts, which fell by nearly 38 percent over the last five months. By May 20, 2006, 88 cars had been reported stolen to the cops in the 16th Avenue stationhouse, statistics show. At the same time this year, 55 car thefts were reported. Burglaries in the command have also fallen – by just over 26 percent, according to statistics.

The only two crimes that have shown an increase in the 66th Precinct so far this year has been in grand larcenies, or non-violent thefts of $1,000 or more – which also include credit card and identity theft – and felony assaults, which suffered a slight uptick in numbers, from 49 by the end of May, 2006 to 52 this year. Over the past month, felony crime in the 66th Precinct fell by nearly 12 percent, statistics show.

Security Alert - Local Peeping Tom

From a local neighbor:
On May 4, between 1:30 and 2 in the morning, we had a peeping Tom (wearing only a pair of bikini briefs) climb up onto the burglar bars of the bathroom window of our apartment (which is on the ground floor). He pushed the top of our window down so that he could peer in on X in the bathroom getting ready for bed. When X heard the window move she looked over to see him staring at her but he was not scared off when she initially started yelling.

Approximately two weeks later a peeping Tom was in the courtyard of the same building where our neighbor Z saw him. Z is also on the ground floor but faces the courtyard whereas we are on a side street. Z saw him directly in front of her bedroom window which was unfortunately open at the time (thankfully though she too has burglar bars). Z saw him outside her window in the courtyard completely naked with a paper bag over his head (w/ eyeholes punched out) masturbating. Z yelled through the window that she would be calling the police and he eventually went away.

Last November another incident involving a peeping Tom occurred just a few houses down from the incident detailed above and the police did not take a report! (In fact the police did not take a report on the first sighting of the peeping Tom detailed above. It was not until the second incident that the 66 started taking reports and investigating!) A little after 11 p.m. 'Tom' appeared completely naked wearing a bandana around his face (uncovering only his eyes) and pressed himself against the glass of a bay window on the front porch (lights on, curtains open) while two families looked on in total shock. Afterwards he ran down the street and disappeared almost instantly.

*While we do not know for sure that all incidents involved the same individual, we assume this may be the case.

Description
Caucasion male
early to mid 30s
Eastern European features (high cheekbones, slightly wide-set eyes)
blond/light or brown/sandy wavy hair
light eyes
approx. 6 feet tall and 200 pounds

If you have any information on this man please get in touch with Detective Dawson at the 66th Precinct at (718) 851-5611. ***Please note that when the first incident occurred at a building on E4th St, the police refused to take a report. It was not until the second incident, also on East 4th St, that the 66 would file a report. If you become (or have been) a victim of a similar crime in our area, please insist that they file a report.***

Update on Unlicensed Vehicles

We guess the squeaky wheel does get the oil! The picture above was taken on Wednesday morning (notice red van sans plates on Story. The grey Camry directly in front had no plates neither did the white Nissan four up). That evening we stopped into the Dahill Neighborhood Assoc. meeting and heard a few residents gripe about the unlicensed vehicle saga on Church Ave and Story St to officers in attendance. We heard from a few people today, and even got an update from Officer Wright, that six vehicles were towed after last nights meeting. We think its a start and are sure the 66 will be keeping an eye out. Concerned residents should monitor the vehicles in this area and report concerns to the 66 directly at (718) 851-5611.

Anyone got any info. on the kids trespassing into PS 230?

Re-Cap: Dahill Neighborhood Assoc.

Tonight's DNA meeting was exactly why we think it's important residents attend and get involved in local neighborhood associations. On the agenda was Brennan and a few local officers from the 66 Precinct. A representative from Marty Markowtiz's office (Mr. Whitacker) was also in attendance.

The evening started with a few residents airing their discontent with recent parking violations that were going unnoticed. The 66 officers (Wright and Cohen) gave suggestions on steps to take to get these issues corrected. (One was calling the precinct directly at (718) 851-5611 rather then calling 311). A couple people also spoke about the unlicensed and unregistered vehicles on Church Ave and Story St. The officers were clear that these vehicles should have been getting towed and promised to look at that area immediately. Another women in attendance discussed her issue with local kids entering the newly renovated playground at PS 230 through her yard. The playground recently received a violation (because of a lock?) and is as of yet unopened (although complete). Kids have been hopping the fence through her yard and the officers promised some police presence at that location in the afternoons after school.

Later Brennan spoke about some of the current legislation he is working on as our representative. Much of what he spoke about was in regard to the recent NYC school funding issue as well as the legislation for changing the building code. Someone had a question about local improvements which he dodged well but noted some historic projects he's worked on with the DNA specifically. We're sure Brennan is a super busy guy, the work he's doing certainly seems to be for the greater good of many residents within NYC but it's our small opinion that our little corner of Brooklyn could use a bit more attention.

All and all we felt the night was productive and certainly the 66 officers being in attendance allowed for some positive and constructive dialogue. We hope to follow up on progress with the unlicensed vehicles and trespassers next week. We'll see how well they follow through.

66th Monthly Crime Update

Between late March and late April, the number of burglaries in the command fell by a whopping 48 percent, from 28 taken at that time back in 2006 to 16 this year.

Captain Peter DiBlasio, the commanding officer of the 66th Precinct, explained that Police Officer Rahmeen Bayat’s arrest of a career burglar connected to two neighborhood break-ins has helped them reduce the number of burglaries in both Borough Park and Kensington.

One’ll get you many: Burglary bust pays off big (Courier Life - 5/10/07)

Afghan immigrant becomes top cop at 66th Pct. (Courier Life - 5/10/07)

Upcoming Neighborhood Meetings

Kensington Action Force (KAF)
May 15th at 7:25pm
Ditmas Junior High School (main auditorium),
700 Cortelyou Road, enter from East 7th Street; 718-941-5500

Community Board 7 (North side of Caton & Ft. Hamilton are CB 7)
May 16th at 6:30 pm
4201 4th Avenue 718 854-0003

66th Precinct Community Council
May 17 at 7:30 pm
for location, call 718-851-5601

Albemarle Neighborhood Assoc.(ANA)
May 17 at 7:30 pm
Flatbush & Shaare Torah Jewish Center, 327 East 5th St

Dahill Neighborhood Association (DNA)
May 23 at 8 pm
Public School 230 Lower School, 425 McDonald Ave, b/w Church and Albemarle
Ruth Levine; 718-853-5204.

Community Board 12 Meeting
May 29th at 7pm

New Kensington Neighborhood Association (NKNA)
(no information was available)
Teri Saffron-Irthum, 917-402-6982.