Notes From June’s 70th Precinct Community Council Meeting

Last night’s 70th Precinct Community Council Meeting was the final one of the season, and got a great turnout from residents wishing to thank local law enforcement. In addition to the usual faces, Senator Simcha Felder of Community District 17, Assembly Member Jim Brennan, and Detective Martin Brown, Community Liaison to Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly, were in attendance. The next meeting will be held in September, and we will keep you informed of the date. Until then, here’s what you should know:

• Perhaps the most telling moment of the night was when a woman who had attended last month’s meeting to voice her concerns about repeatedly calling the police only for them not to show up thanked the 70th for taking the time to address her issues personally. She expressed gratitude to officers who invited her to speak at the Precinct after the meeting, and said their work near her home since then had drastically reduced the issues she had been facing. She said she would still be attending meetings and bringing up problems, but that she was very impressed with how her concerns were handled. Coming from someone who was so dissatisfied with the Precinct’s communication last time she spoke, this was clear evidence that if other attempts to connect with the Precinct fail, attending meetings and speaking to officers in person is an effective way to get your problem solved.

• Other neighbors, including a man who had noted tensions on Woodruff Ave. at a previous meeting, a man concerned with drug activity on Avenue H near E 16th and E 17th, and a woman who had informed police of problems on Regent Pl., applauded the Precinct for their communication, plans, and execution of said plans on their respective streets.

• According to neighbor Nathan Thompson, Assembly Member Brennan has agreed to take the lead in examining the death of Ngozi Agbim, who was hit by a truck Monday morning at the entrance of the Prospect Expressway.

• An apartment at 1900 Albemarle where a shooting took place Tuesday night was reportedly being used for gambling. When the perpetrator attempted to get money from an employee of the establishment, the security guard who tried to stop the robbery was shot.

• Inspector Rodriguez said there has been a 10.5% overall decrease in crime this year compared to the same time last year. There have been four murders so far (same as in 2012), three of which have been closed. And, as mentioned at last month’s meeting, there has been an increase in rapes (15 so far this year as compared to at the same time 7 last year). You can read the latest CompStat report for the 70th here.

• Though most of the audience at the meeting was thankful to the Precinct, a few neighbors were still having communication issues. One man said he’d pressed the panic button at about 7pm the other night at his store on Flatbush and Ditmas Aves., then waited nearly half an hour for police to arrive before giving up and leaving. Inspector Rodriguez said this may have been because the call from the panic button goes through to the security company first.

• Two other women who were in a car accident at 5:15 in the afternoon on June 17 said they called 911 seven times and waited about five and a half hours for police to respond, while a unit the next block over refused to help and an officer who pulled over on the way to a burglary declined to call the accident in. The Inspector said cops in different sectors go to the jobs they’re assigned by 911 dispatch, but that he would look into their concerns.

• Reporter Barry Paddock of the New York Daily News asked for a comment on the 70th Precinct’s high percentage of stop-and-frisks that don’t result in tickets or summonses. The Inspector said that without data, he would decline to respond.

• Electronic-related crime (phone thefts, etc.) and car break-ins still comprise a lot of the activity in the area.

• Again, July 4 is coming up. If you had problems with fireworks last year, call the Precinct and they will send coverage to your block for this year.

The Inspector encouraged residents to report suspicious activity. He cited a recent case in which a man was recorded on a security camera while breaking into a car, was identified and followed, and was finally arrested when observed shoplifting. Police were then able to tie him back to the initial car break-in with evidence found in his home. He said that the partnership between police and the public is crucial to success and safety in the confines of the 70th, and residents should not be shy about getting involved.

So, how can you help protect yourself and others from becoming a victim and communicate more effectively with the Precinct? Sign up for the Precinct’s crime prevention and safety newsletter by emailing 70PCTCommunityAffairs@nypd.org. Meet the officers and introduce yourself at the 70th’s crime prevention table at this Sunday’s Flatbush Street Fair. Stop into the Precinct. Attend meetings.

It seems as if the issue in the neighborhood recently has been less about an actual increase in crime, and more about a lack of communication and transparency that might keep more crimes from happening. It’s unfortunate how frustrating it can be to get in touch sometimes, but this month’s meeting was a testament to how showing up and speaking directly to the officers has resulted in fruitful communication and a decrease in criminal activity in parts of our community.