SPAN to Host Another Informational Meeting on Sunday

from the email:

The next SPAN meeting will take place this Sunday evening June 28th.

Included will be a new members' orientation/introduction to SPAN.

If you are interested in learning more about SPAN or working with us, please contact
Amina at Rosita_11215@yahoo.com for exact time and location.

Video of Citizens Arresting an Alleged Would-Be Thief

This showed up on both GowanusLounge.com and Gothamist today. I'm pretty sure it's 4th Avenue between 60th and 61st, but none of the signs look clear...however, the construction fencing looks like what's on the 4th Ave and 61st corner. Check it out if you're willing to be harangued with shaky camera work and salty language.

The summary is that a man whom bystanders believe has just robbed and then cut someone with a razor blade is apprehended by those bystanders. He's on the ground, surrounded by men (and one very angry woman) scolding him and protecting him from people who want to beat him up. They are waiting for the police to show up. The police finally get there (after one man gets a kick in at the kidney) and cuff and search him.

A caveat anytime something like this is shown: It is dangerous, albeit commendable, to chase and catch a thief (vandal, mugger, generally naughty person) because you never know what they might have up their sleeve. Also, situations like this can quickly become even more ugly if those involved end up taking not just the capture but also the punishment into their own hands. The men involved here did a good job of keeping physical retribution to an absolute minimum (from what we see on the video), although the epithets dashed at the man on the street (literally) are pretty ugly.

Here's the link from GowanusLounge.

Be An Active Citizen

Thanks to a fellow Sunset Park parent for reminding me of options in addition to 311 when I see disturbing items (she suggests "be it trash, vomit, or a broken swing at the playground") in Sunset Park. I would also include plastic foolishness vendors inside the playground and my epic favorite: broken, mangled fencing around the park.

Here's the useful list:

Community Board 7:
phone: 718.854.0003
email: communityboard7@yahoo.com

Sara Gonzalez, District 38 Council member:
phone: 718.439.9012
email: gonzalez@council.nyc.ny.us

Marty Markowitz, Brooklyn B. President:
phone: 718.802.3700
email: askmarty@brooklynbp.nyc.gov

Local 72nd Precinct:
phone: 718.965.6311

Julius Speigel, Brooklyn Parks Commissioner:
phone: 718.965.8920

Geoffery Croft, NYC Parks Advocate:
phone: 212.987.0565
email: croft@nycparkadvocates.org

Kudos to Bay Ridge Message Board

Need a reason to Say Something if you See Something? How about a reason to stay vigilant and active in your neighborhood and on your block?

The Bay Ridge drug bust, in houses often referred to as a Crack Dens by locals on various message boards, is featured in today's New York Times. Credit is given to the Discussion Board BayRidgeTalk.com for bringing attention to the 93rd Street houses and its nefarious activities.

from the NYT article:

As descriptions of crack houses go, the ones the bloggers gave of the homes on 93rd Street were hardly novel, with stories of addicts slumped on the steps outside and cars coming and going at all hours. Men inside chased strangers away, neighbors said, waving sticks and making threats while the rest of the street peered out behind drawn blinds.

But peering turned to blogging, and blogging turned to action, as neighbors started filing complaints with the 68th Precinct station house and attending Community Board 10 meetings and generally making noise until a narcotics investigation began, leading to the arrests.

Can Sunset Park residents think of anything around here that could use the same attention turned to action?