The 79th Precinct Community Council Meets [VIDEO]

The 79th Pct. Community Council held its monthly meeting Wednesday night, and the resounding concern by all participants was how to address the rise in shooting incidents in the area.

Elected officials in attendance included Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries, and representatives from the offices of City Councilmember Letitia James and Congressman Ed Towns. Other special guests in attendance included Jeffrey Levitt, the Assistant District Attorney for the Kings County D.A.'s office, who overseas crimes in the 79 Pct., and a representative from the office EEOP office of Veterans Affairs.

--Dr. Kim Best, president of the 79th Precinct Community Council, opened the meeting with a monthly report.

·  The 79th Pct. Council Meeting date for November will be moved up one week to November 16, as the regular date (of every fourth Wednesday) coincides closely with Thanksgiving. The Council will be giving out free turkeys at the November meeting.

·  The official date of the precinct Christmas/Kwanzaa party has been set for December 17.

·  The precinct is uncertain whether The Toys for Tots program, which normally provides toys for the precinct’s Christmas Party, will be able to donate toys this year. Therefore, they are requesting monetary donations from the community to make sure the kids are able to receive gifts this Christmas.

·  The council is seeking more volunteers to serve as outreach coordinators on its council. “This isn’t something just to say you a have a title. This is for people who are truly interested in putting in work toward improving the community,” said Best.

--The Fundraising Committee sold raffle tickets (1 for $2 and 3 for $5) and auctioned off a flat-screen television.

--Saturday, October 29, at 11:00am at Interfaith Hospital, located at 1545 Atlantic Avenue, concerned citizens will meet to discuss the presence of PCBs, rats, sink holes and soil contamination in and around the grounds of Fulton Park.

--A representative from Veteran’s Affairs made a presentation about the Patient-Activated Care Team, a new initiative that provides a suite of benefits and services for veterans. As president Obama has called for the removal of U.S. troops from Iraq, Veterans Affairs wants to make sure that veterans returning home know about this service, which can help provide a path to housing, healthcare and jobs. For more information, please call 212-951-6838.

--Dr. Best recognized the Auxiliary Unit of the 79th Precinct, a dedicated team of volunteer officers who provide support in numerous capacities to the 79.  The 79th Pct.’s Auxiliary team has been heralded as the best in the city, ranked #1. All of its members were present at the meeting to be honored as Dr. Best read a letter to the officers from the Mayor’s office acknowledging their service, a citation of honor from the D.A.s office, and a proclamation from the office Brooklyn’s Borough President.

--Deputy Inspector Peter Bartoszek gave his monthly address:

·  The inspector says the big problem they are dealing with in the neighborhood right now are robberies. He wants to make people aware of three key areas where the precinct has noticed an increase in the number of crime incidents

1. Along the Marcus Garvey Boulevard around Madison Street

2. Around the Armstrong Housing Projects around Tompkins, Greene Ave. and Gates Ave

3. Along the western end of Bed-Stuy, on Franklin Avenue to Nostrand Avenue, between Myrtle and Monroe Avenues

·  The precinct also is experiencing a crime increase during late-night hours, mostly robberies, increased gun violence and blatant robberies of electronics

·  The Inspector says that the precinct has increased its patrols in these areas, especially along the western end of  Bed-Stuy. Also, they have changed the shifts of some of their plainclothes officers to work later hours, until 4:00am.

--Grievances

·  One resident who lives in the western area of the precinct along Skillman and Dekalb and Franklin, says he’s seen an escalation in the number of violent crimes, and is hearing more gunshots and seeing more murders. Yet, he rarely sees any foot patrols in the area. He wanted to know why, if police know that it’s becoming a dangerous zone, they have not beefed up patrols.

Bartoszek Answer: Sector cars are being deployed in that area and it is constantly controlled. We have no foot patrols there, but we will consider increasing. Also, if you hear gunshots, we are asking the community to get in the habit of calling 911, because the officers will not always hear it, and so cannot respond if they are not alerted.

·  A resident complained about the subway station entrance at Lafayette and Bedford Avenues having no working tollbooth or person on duty, and therefore attracting loiterers.

Bartoszek Answer: We will make a note of that and begin investigating that area.

·  The president of the Lafayette Gardens Association complained about people always pointing fingers at the residents of the housing projects as the perpetrators of crimes. He says people need to be more mindful of always placing the blame on LG, when often times it is tenants from neighboring blocks and other housing developments that are coming over to start trouble.

·  One resident said her nephew, who is in 8th grade, was harassed and bullied on September 16, after school, by a group of teens he didn’t know, and then he was chased through Von King Park. The resident wanted to know why there wasn’t greater patrols around the public schools and high schools during the after school hours of 3:00pm-3:30 when children are unsupervised. “We need more protection of our residents when school lets out. My nephew wants to be independent, and there is no reason why he shouldn’t feel safe in the neighborhood where he lives and has grown up,” said the resident.

Bartoszek Answer: We’re doing the best we can with the resources we’re provided. It’s a very difficult job we have. But I will try to maximize coverage during those hours.

·  One resident’s complaint at the end of the meeting was, perhaps, the most poignant moment of grievance, because it involved a group of parents and their children from P.S. 270 who are concerned that their playground has become so unsafe with repeated gunshots, they have stopped letting their kids go outside for recess. She said they have called the 79th precinct on numerous occasions, and their calls are ignored because they are told again and again that their school is in another precinct, so they can do nothing about it.

The problem is, the school sits on the Clinton Hill border of Classon Avenue, across from the Lafayette Garden Houses (LG) on the Bed-Stuy border, from where the shooting generates. However, the school is within the confines of the 88th Pct., and LG -- right across the street -- is in the 79th Pct. The parent’s anger almost brought her to tears as she explained that children should not be prevented from being outdoors because the precinct refuses to respond to their calls, particularly when the perpetrators are coming from 79th Pct. She said the 88 is on patrol around their school as much as possible, but can only do so much without the cooperation of 79.  (see video)

Bartoszek Answer: The school is located within the confines of the 88th Precinct. That’s not one of my 46 schools and 25 buildings. But I’m not saying that it’s not a concern, because of course it is. I get so many calls and emails, and I do my best to return them all… Invite me to the school. How’s tomorrow? I’ll be there tomorrow.