Crime in the Stuy: Addressing the Problem

In the first of our three-part series on crime in Bed-Stuy, “Crime in The Stuy: A Look at the Neighborhood," we surveyed the latest crime statistics to determine whether crime is in fact on the rise in Bed-Stuy.

In our second installment, "Crime in The Stuy: What are the Potential Factors?" we examined possible causes of crime in Bed-Stuy, such as a shrinking police force, teen unemployment and overcrowding in homeless shelters.

In our third and final installment, we will examine current provisions and possible next steps for addressing the problem of crime in Bed-Stuy.

The general perception is that crime is on the rise in New York City. This notion is particularly worrisome for Bed-Stuy residents, as many fear that the neighborhood, which was once one of the most dangerous places in city, is doomed to repeat history.

News of citywide budget cuts to the police force and youth employment services has many on edge.

“I’m a little freaked out,” said Jay Rohrs, a four-year resident of Bed-Stuy. “I’ve started to notice more crime and less police walking around.”

“Crime increases in our neighborhood, and in New York City as a whole, are partially a symptom of a struggling economy that is still hurting many New Yorkers,” said City Councilman Al Vann. “While the unemployment rate may have gone down slightly, many have faced bleak job prospects even before this current downturn and are completely disconnected from the economy and educational system.”

But amongst all of the fear and doubt, there are some bright spots; there is an uprecedented vigilance on the part of both the community and the two police precincts in Bed-Stuy to push back against criminal activity and preserve the safety and integrity of the neighborhood.

As noted in the first and second parts of this series, although the perception is that crime is on the rise, the crime outlook, in fact, is not so bleak. In one Bed-Stuy (79th) precinct, crime has been and continues to be on the steady decline over the past ten years. And, although in the other (81st) precinct, crime is up, that figure is only 2.6 percent.

Further, in the 81st Pct, where overall crime has increased, in most areas it has decreased, including rapes, robberies and felony assaults. Most notably, murders have shown the greatest drop in the 81st Pct, with a 50 percent decrease from last year.

In three areas -- auto break-ins, auto thefts and larcenies -- crime has increase enough over last year in the 81st precinct to drive overall numbers up. Larcenies -- mostly in the form of cell phones and hand-held electronic thefts-- have increased 30 percent over last year, a problem that is not localized to just Brooklyn or New York City, but the country as a whole. 

Additionally, several community groups have galvanized around Bed-Stuy to encourage safety for its residents.

Richard Beaver, the owner of ‘House of Art,’ located at 373 Lewis Ave, caught the media's eye last year when he and a group of men from the community started ‘We Make us Better,’ a community group that aims to make neighborhood residents feel a little safer.

The group, which was profiled by the Daily News, received attention for escorting neighborhood residents coming home from the Utica Ave train station and holding monthly community walks, which are used as a way to spread safety tips and awareness.

Beaver said that the biggest problem in his opinion is “complacency” amongst the men in the community.

“We aren’t vigilantes” said Beaver. “We are just concerned about the safety our neighborhood. If the men in our community were to step up, then we could combat these incidents. If we don’t do it, who else is going to do it for us?”

One of the recession’s biggest casualties is youth unemployment, which was 19.1 percent nationally last year for young people ages 15 - 24. As young people face less employment opportunities, there is one local organization that is putting young people to work, while teaching them civic responsibility.

is a local organization that offers job training and educational services for young people during after-school hours. PR-G also offers a small monetary incentive for serving in their ‘Foot Soldier’ Program -- a program that benefits the kids and the community by cleaning up residents yards, snow shoveling, and recycling and garbage removal.

“The teens that come in are underserved by the community,” said Keely Respass, program director for PR-G. “The teens [in the community] are idle, they have nothing to do. They come here to fill their time and their minds.”

Respass notes that the program has a 90 percent success rate, with many of the kids finishing high school and either moving on to college or finding a job.

“It helps you with your life, makes you stay focused and achieve your goals,” said Dominique Reid, 17, a student in the program who plans on attending college next year for criminal justice.

Also, Children of Promise, an outreach group that works closely with PR-G, tries to reach out to kids at an even earlier age, by offering tutoring, mentors, arts and crafts, and mental health services.

 “We work in collaboration with social service agencies and schools to help children of incarcerated parents,” said Sharon Contact, president and founder of the . “We try to strengthen not only the kids, but the community around them as well.”

Other programs such as and The Bedford-Stuyvesant Youth, Education and Safety (YES) Taskforce, also are tackling the problem of violence and crime by offering college preparation, counseling and job training.

“YES attempts to address the root causes that lead to crime, while also working collaboratively with our police precincts and holding them accountable," said Councilman Vann. “Within our community, it is important that we not simply rely on police, but involve ourselves in community efforts that will help to reduce crime and make our neighborhood safer.” 

So many factors exist to create an environment ripe for a dramatic increase in crime: Fewer police who are operating on a shoestring budget, fewer jobs and fewer social services. However, these factors are not indigenous to one borough or even to one neighborhood. They are the result of an ailing economy-- shifts that are happening nationwide.

Considering these very dramatic changes, the fact that crime has continued to drop in the neighborhood at all, is no small wonder.

To that end, we can give credit to the various community organizations committed to preserving the health and integrity of neighborhood and its residents, young and old, and also the 79th and 81st police precincts of Bed-Stuy.

But to continue their efforts, both groups need the community's ongoing support.

 “Everyone thinks Bed-Stuy is a bad place, I want people to think that it isn’t. A lot of people just misunderstand it,” said Reed.