Parents Of Teens Who Were Mugged Charge Lack Of Communication From 78th Precinct
Over the last few months, our site has become a maudlin reliquary of iPhone muggings in the neighborhood. And if you type “iPhone” into our search engine, you’ll have plenty of crime news reading to keep you occupied on your daily subway commute — delays included.
Most victims have been teens in the neighborhood, which has set parents and kids on edge. And some of those parents tell us they feel unsatisfied with the lack of information and details they’ve received from the 78th Precinct.
On Tuesday, February 23, 78th Precinct commanding officer Capt. Frank DiGiacomo spoke to the community about the incidents at a 78th Precinct Community Council meeting. While the monthly meeting is noted on the Precinct website, parents in the community have expressed frustration and disappointment that they were not informed about this particularly significant council meeting.
“Unfortunately, I was unaware of the meeting until it was already underway,” said the mother of the 16-year-old victim, who requested that their names not be used for this article. “Since then I have seen some information about what was discussed.” she added.
According to DNAinfo, “DiGiacomo described the rash of robberies as ‘youth-on-youth crime’ carried out by a loose gang of 13 and 14-year-olds who intimidate other kids into handing over their cellphones. The victims weren’t beaten up during the robberies, but one of the suspects slammed a crow bar onto the sidewalk to scare victims.”
In addition, DiGiacomo said “you will see more police officers because of it. Officers are going to be walking into stores and saying hello to people and getting to know them,” according to the outlet.
Park Slope neighbor and mother Kimberly Leon told us she was also unaware of the meeting. “My son was a victim in a similar incident on November 11,” she explained. “I guess it happened awhile ago, so maybe that’s why I wasn’t informed.”
Leon’s son is 13-year-old Alex Leon, an MS 51 William Alexander Middle School student who was the victim of that November 11 mugging.
Alex was walking two of his dogs at the time just next to the school. “My dogs got loose. All I cared about my dogs,” he said. “The phone didn’t matter to me.”
When we asked Alex if he still feels safe, he told us that he and his friends walk together nowadays. “We have each others’ backs,” he says.
We reached out to the precinct for comment, but did not hear back in time for publication.
The precinct explains on its website that “the council is a non-partisan group which meets with police officials to exchange mutual views and seek ways to solve local problems. The 78th Precinct community council meets the last Tuesday of every month at 7:30 P.M. at the 78th Precinct.”
“The information is on their website, but — considering the situation — they needed to let us know it was happening. There’s too much to keep track of,” says Kim Leon, Alex’s mother.
When we asked Alex Leon if he still carries a phone, he tells us, “Yes. Well, a flip phone. Maybe it’ll help.”
“Sadly, my younger son is friends with the kids involved in the other theft,” said the mother of the 16-year-old victim. “I would say that it is a small world, but it seems to me that this is an epidemic.”
These are some of the recent incidents involving teens:
Date: December 2, 2015
Location: 6th Avenue and Sterling Place
Victim: 11-year-old male
Suspect: 2 males
More from DNAinfo
Date: January 28, 2016
Location: 14th Street near the Pavilion Theater
Victim: 15-year-old and 16-year-old male
Suspect: Two male teenagers
More from Park Slope Stoop
Date: January 28, 2016
Location: 562 9th Street (between 8th Avenue and Prospect Park West)
Victim: 32-year-old male
Suspect: Two males
More from Park Slope Stoop
Date: February 1, 2016
Location: Outside of J.J. Byrne Playground (Corner of 5th Avenue and 4th Street)
Victim:12-year-old male
Suspect: 5 males.
More from Park Slope Stoop