77th Precinct covering Crown Heights and Prospect Heights
Slick robbery
A thief allegedly left no traces after burglarizing a man’s apartment on Feb. 20, police said.
The 32-year-old victim said he came home to his Grand Avenue apartment around 1 pm to find his Mac Book Pro computer missing. There were no signs of forced entry.
Police are investigating the incident.
Early morning mugging
Three thugs knocked a man out and stole his wallet in the early morning hours of Feb. 22, police said.
The 45-year-old victim was walking home and on the southeast corner of Lincoln Place and Classon Avenue when the perpetrators approached him from behind and one conked him on the head with an unknown object knocking him out. When the victim regained consciousness his wallet was missing.
The victim was taken to Interfaith Hospital with a laceration to the head, where he was treated and released.
Bathroom break larceny
Three youths swiped a Mac Book Pro computer from a coffee shop on Feb. 25 while the victim used the bathroom, police said.
The 35-year-old victim was eating at the Glass Shop Coffee Shop, 766 Classon Avenue at about 4:30 pm, when he used the bathroom. When he came back both the computer and the perpetrators were gone.
Domestic violence arrest
A 58-year-old man was arrested on Feb. 25 after beating and strangling his 51-year-old girlfriend unconscious, police said.
The woman was attacked after returning to their apartment with groceries. The perpetrator punched the victim several times before strangling her with her scarf until she lost consciousness.
She was taken to Kings County Hospital and is expected to recover.
Be careful of who you meet
A chance encounter on Feb. 26 led to an unknown man robbing a 29-year-old woman, police said.
The victim told police she met the perpetrator in Manhattan and the two took a cab back to Brooklyn at about 5:15 am. When the two arrived on Franklin Avenue the thug threw the victim to the ground several times and robbed her of her cell phone.
Responding police called the cell phone number and the man said he would give it back for $300, but the exchange was never made to foster an arrest.
Police are continuing to investigate the incident.
Car theft
A 42-year-old woman had her 2000 Dodge van swiped on Feb. 23, police said.
The victim parked her van in front of 145 Albany Avenue and took the keys with her. When she returned at about 11:42 pm, the auto was gone.
Police are investigating.
Store burglarized
A bodega was burglarized on Feb. 24, police said.
The owner of the bodega, located at 172 Schenectady Avenue, closed the store at about 10 pm and came back the next morning to find the side door open.
The burglars allegedly used this entrance to go downstairs, clip the alarm wires and enter the store. They escaped with the store computer along with postage stamps, more than $1,000 in cigarettes, phone cards and $150 in cash.
79th Precinct covering Bedford-Stuyvesant
Cell phone store robbed
Two thugs robbed a cell phone store at gunpoint on Feb. 21, police said.
The male perpetrators walked into the store at about 2:30 pm and one displayed a black handgun and removed money from the register.
The bandits then took off towards the Lafayette Gardens Housing development.
Police continue to investigate the incident.
Bodega robbed at gunpoint
Three gun-wielding thugs held up a bodega on Feb. 25, police said.
The three came into the store at about 2:10 pm and one produced a black handgun and demanded money.
The perpetrators then fled in a white Dodge with about $1,200 in stolen loot.
Police continue to investigate the incident.
Auto break-in
A car window was shattered and personal property taken on Feb. 27, police said.
The break-in occurred at about 1 am while the car was parked in front of 210 Lefferts Place.
The incident remains under investigation.
81st Precinct covering Stuyvesant Heights
Man shot in leg
A 16-year-old youth was shot once in the leg on Feb. 25, police said.
The gunplay occurred at about 1:30 am inside of 307 Reid Avenue. The victim was taken to Kings County Hospital.
Police sources said the victim was very uncooperative and the investigation into the shooting continues.
88th Precinct covering Fort Greene/Clinton Hill
Car break- in
Unknown thieves or one thief are responsible for a car break-in on Feb. 27, police said.
The car was parked in front of 37 Grand Avenue and the break-in occurred at about 11:30 pm. The rear window was broken and about $700 worth of items including a GPS were stolen.
Police continue to investigate the incident.
Victim turns tables on thugs
A 26-year-old victim managed to turn the tables on two thugs on Feb. 24, police said.
The victim was riding the C train at about 9:50 pm when the perpetrators approached him near the Fulton Street and South Portland Avenue stop.
The first perpetrator approached the victim demanding his phone while the second thug acted as a lookout.
The first thug then punched the victim in the face and took out a knife. The victim fought back and wrestled the knife out of the thug’s hand, but in doing so, was also cut on the hands.
In the ruckus, the second thug grabbed the cell phone and the two fled, with the victim in pursuit. Once on the street, the victim flagged down cops who arrested an 18-year-old with the phone.
The second perpetrator is still wanted.
Elderly woman mugged
A heartless punk attempted to mug a 73-year-old woman on Feb. 25, police said.
The woman was walking in front of 179 Saint James Place when she was pushed to the ground and the mugger tried unsuccessfully to take her purse.
The woman was taken to Brooklyn Hospital and is expected to recover.
Beaten with weights
A 59-year-old man was arrested for beating a 48-year-old man with weights on Feb. 23, police said.
The two got into a verbal dispute at about 11 am inside 105 Carlton Avenue when the perpetrator hit the victim twice with the weights causing significant swelling and a laceration to the forehead.
The victim was taken to Brooklyn Hospital and is expected to recover.
Domestic robbery
A man punched and stole an ex-lover’s cell phone on Feb. 22, police said.
The 46-year-old victim was walking home at about 8 am when the 47-year-old perpetrator approached her in front of 56 North Oxford Walk and asked her where she had been all night. The two have kids together. He then punched her and took her phone.
Police arrested the man.
Bad allergies
A 38-year-old man was arrested after trying to steal nine boxes of Claritin allergy medication from Target on Feb. 21, police said.
Security and cops tried to stop the man from leaving the store at about 4 pm and a brawl ensued before the man was finally brought under control and collared.
Tags: Bad allergies, Bathroom break larceny, Car theft, Classon Avenue, Domestic robbery, Elderly woman, grand avenue, gunpoint, Lincoln Place, Police Beat, Store burglarized, thief, victim
Mike Bloomberg’s first thoughts the morning after Mayoral election night might have wavered seamlessly between “ I won!” and “I almost lost!” A bittersweet victory/defeat for the richest man in New York City, who lives in a world where powerful egos have no patience with almost losing. He won 557,059 expensive votes to Democrat Bill Thompson’s low-cost 506,717.
That morning, our friend Robert Taylor woke up to a world that eludes the city agencies. He was at peace padding his way from Brevoort Place to Clinton Hill’s Grand Avenue, as he does every morning. “If it snows, I pick up a shovel and clean the streets for a few dollars. I just keep moving, but I keep coming back.” Virtually homeless after losing his apartment on the avenue just after 9/11 due to escalated rents; Robert is accustomed to “street guy” references. But he also knows how to train horses; he does not bet on them. He sometimes entertains small crowds, outdoors, with his phenomenal classic music playing, when a used piano is dropped off at his friend Eddie Hibbert’s Antique warehouse down the street.
Mr. Taylor informed us that the Mayor shelled out about $200.00 per vote for each of the more than half million votes he received, compared to his Democrat opponent Bill Thompson’s $14 each for almost the same amount of votes. “But, remember, it’s not always about the money; it’s about what you want that money to do. When the stakes are high, you cast high bets to win at any cost. He now has a lot of work to do to make true on those promises he paid for.”
On the north easternmost edge of Brooklyn, Mr. B., a block association president and former corrections officer agrees, but he still thinks arrogance, not money interfered with Mr. Thompson’s sure shot. At his election site, the lever for DeBlasio was stuck, and the pollworker told him gruffly, “Don’t worry ‘bout that, it’ll count.” After putting his strength on that lever to bring it to its place, he informed everyone present what was going on. “This ‘kiss-my-ass’ attitude – on the part of a lot of folks connected with the political process, including local elected officials, only succeeds in keeping voters away. And it may have pushed votes away from Thompson. People are turned off, they don’t want to participate.
“At the community board meeting this week, a guy stands up and asks about construction jobs that are going to other ethnic groups who don’t live in the neighborhood; a weatherization official announces that it doesn’t make sense for owners of 2-family homes to apply for special funding, ‘especially,’ he said, ‘since you don’t use that much hot water anyway’, plus we learn about 75% of the program’s $10 million is available to owners of multi-family dwellings, well – that’s not us; then there’s these rezoning issues and whether or not certain areas of Bedford –Stuyvesant will be rezoned in accordance with the special interests of other ethnic groups in other areas. Point is … if local politicians are servants of the public, they should come out of their comfort zones and get into the neighborhood and go to the people. Explain to them what’s going on.”
The 45-year-old block association president was recently stopped by police in Herbert Von King Park and asked to show ID because he was walking through the park at night, three nights before the election. Officers apologized profusely after they discovered he was a retired Corrections Officer. “This is the way it is. But attitudes across the board must change if they are to get the support from all of the people.
“Some of the young Turks seeking election against incumbents could have gotten a lot of mileage out of putting their weight solidly and visibly behind Mr. Thompson. There are so many lessons to be learned.”
It’s still no excuse for such a low turnout, says New York City Parks worker Earl Williams. “When I went to P.S. 305 at 4pm to vote, there was no one there except the poll workers.”
It was chilly and dry the day after the election, and everyone had something to say abouthow Thompson should have won. Except, of course, the mainstream press, stunned that their polls didn’t get it right, and perhaps numbed by the same thinking as Taylor, Mr. B., Mr. Williams and Mr. Bloomberg: if Black people had turned out, in force, Thompson, who earned 50.9% of Brooklyn votes to Mr. Bloomberg’s 45.3%, would have enjoyed the landslide of the century. For pennies on the dollar. Lessons to be learned, indeed.
Tags: antique, bedford-stuyvesant, Bill thompson, billionaire mayor, black community, black people, black votes, block association, brevoort place, brooklyn, clinton hill, community board 3, corrections officer, DeBlasio, democrat, earl williams, eddie hibbert, ethnic voting, grand avenue, herbert von king park, homeless, low turnout, Mayor's bittersweet victory, Mayoral elections, michael bloomberg, Mike Bloomberg, multi-family dwellings, new york city, New York City mayoral elections, New York City Mayoral Race, new york city parks, p.s. 305, politicians, pollworkers, richest man in New York, robert taylor, servants of the people, street politics, term limits rulings, votes, young turks
Standing outside new Democratic Club are: Mark Winston Griffith, City Council Candidate, 36th CD; Renee Collymore, Founder, Parliament Democratic Club, Geoffrey Davis, James E.Davis Stop the Violence Foundation and Reverend Ken Bogan, of the Greater Restoration Baptist Church. Photo: Mark Stewart
“We are very grass roots,” said Renee Collymore, standing outside the new Parliament Democratic Club, housed in a narrow storefront on Putnam Avenue, between Grand Avenue and Downing Street. Ms. Collymore is just coming off her work as Deputy Campaign Manager for Queens Democratic Council Member David Weprin during his run for city comptroller and is still geared for action. “Democracy has to be exercised and it is not being exercised to its fullest here in Brooklyn. The people have to be energized. Political freedom is very important and the people have been giving up their power to the elected officials because of lazy voting and inertia.”
While there are other political clubs in the area, Ms. Collymore says that the way for a political club to have an impact on the community is to actually perform useful services, and that is where her club will differ. “It cannot be just politics while people are not getting assistance. Politics mixed with social programs is the key,” says Ms. Collymore. “Politics alone makes a club handicapped. We have implemented a pilot program, The Fundamentals of Citizenship, to sixth-graders where I will be teaching them their responsibility as citizens, and what their duties are as citizens. Even as sixth-graders, they are citizens.
“This is a Democratic Club with an independent voice. We have Republicans, Conservatives and Libertarians in this club. This is a club of inclusion. I want to popularize the idea of political clubs again. I want to pull people out of poverty and give them political clout. I want the little political club on the corner to be like a small branch of government. We will be working block-by-block to include people so that they can exercise their power locally.”
Tags: brooklyn, clinton hill, David Weprin, Downing Street, grand avenue, Greater, Jeffrey Davis, Mark Stewart, Parlliament Democratic Club, Putnam Avenue, Queens Democratic Council, Renee Collymore, Restoration Baptist Church, Reverend Ken Bogan, Stop the Violence Foundation
