Sunset Park Gang Activity Gets Brooklyn Eagle Treatment

The Brooklyn Eagle has an article about the anti-gang efforts of the 72nd Precinct, led by Deputy Inspector Pintos.  The article mentions specifics from the gang awareness forum as well as tips for parents in recognizing signs that your child may be flirting with (or embracing) gang membership. 

from the article:

One front is using increased enforcement in targeted areas with proactive arrests. The second front enrolls the entire community in the "Gangs 101 Course" taught by NYPD Gang Division cops to other cops. Pintos said that without that, parents would lose their children to the gangs.

Gang Forum Gets an Audience, but Not Enough of the Intended One

Sunset Park Chronicled has an excellent run-down of how the Gang Awareness Forum, hosted by the 72nd Precinct, went.

I'll use this as a reminder that anyone who sees gang graffiti should call 311 to report it for clean-up. The huge gang graffiti at the front of the 44th entrance to the park last year was painted over in record time. However, lesser known groups' graffiti remains for months. If you see graffiti that has a single line through it, chances are that's one group "canceling out" another's tag. The more often we call in graffiti like that (or all graffiti, really), the less often it will happen in the long-run.

Thursday: 72nd Precinct Gang Awareness Forum at OLPH

Whether handed out in front of Key Food, hanging by the door at Tacos Matamoros, or received by email from the community board, the word about the Gang Awareness Forum is certainly getting out.

Anyone with a child in middle school or high school should seriously consider attending this forum. In my experience, the parents and family members of kids in gangs usually had no idea. Sometimes it was because of denial, but often it was because they figured the drawings on notebooks, the clothes, the new friends were just that. Occasionally it is innocent, but sometimes it can be much more serious. If you know what to look for, it makes all the difference. Oh, and don't think that your kid is immune because he's a certain race or economic background, does well on tests, or because she attends religious services with you. Yes, there are patterns, but there are also many anomalies.

Here are the details:

Gang Violence is destroying lives and devastating families in our community.

This forum is designed to bring attention to the increasing gang violence in our community and to educate parents and their children to the dangers of gang involvement.

Come out and join us on October 15, 2009 at 6:30 PM at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church - 545 60th Street, in the gymnasium.

Attendees:

Jesus "Raul" Pintos, Deputy Inspector, 72nd Precinct
72nd Precinct Youth Officers
NYPD Gang Division
Local Clergy Members
Family Members of Victims of Gang Violence
And You!

An Arrest in a Fatal Gang-Related Stabbing

Update below.

According to the New York Post's NYPD blotter, Sunset Park had a fatal gang-related stabbing over the weekend. There has already been an arrest.

The 72nd has been busy with arrests both in and out of the park. There was another 5 PM-ish arrest today.

from the Post:

One man was stabbed to death and two others injured during a gang fight in Sunset Park, police said yesterday.

The victim, who has not been identified, was slashed in the arm during the melee on 61st Street at Seventh Avenue on Sunday night.

He later died at Lutheran Hospital.

Two other men were cut during the fight. They were listed in stable condition.

Nelson Liu, 19, was picked up for murder and criminal possession of a weapon, cops said.

See Sunset Park Chronicled for an update.

Sunset Park Shooters Caught

Update: More info from The Village Voice.
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According to officers in the 72nd Precinct, three men have been apprehended for the murders of two men in our park on Monday evening. The shooting was apparently gang-related.

Congratulations to the 72nd on the quick and effective detective work.

Gang Graffiti Arrives and is Removed

Three separate instances of the same phrase were deposited on the 6th Avenue and 44th Street entrance to Sunset Park on Friday night/Saturday morning. By 10 AM, the first was already being painted over by Parks workers. This gang is homegrown Sunset Park. If you're not familiar with them, check out #7 at this October 2007 article from the New York Post and a ten year old article about an incident involving a gang member.