The Streets Where We Live

Auxillary Police Now Patrolling Inwood

Rounding the corner on West 218th Street and Park Terrace East, I almost tripped over myself when I discovered two auxiliary police officers patrolling the area. Other areas of New York City have their precinct police force regularly supplemented by this type of volunteer force and Inwood residents have been clamoring for this type of support for (at least) months. According to the officers (one male, one female) they will be patrolling the immediate area for "a while, "as there has been an increase in reported "break ins" in the area.

Whatever the reason, it is reassuring to see more cops in the area, paid or volunteer. I just hope that they will begin to expand their patrol to more of the quiet areas of Inwood. That corner is one of the best lit spots up on this hill. I am sure residents along Seaman, Indian Road and Park Terrace East and West would appreciate more patrols, especially in light of reported muggings in the area this year.

Tonight: Noise and the City

Earlier today, Soundcheck, a WNYC program, aired a discussion about urban noise featuring guests Arline Bronzaft, Chair of the Noise Committee on the Mayor's Committee on the Environment of New York City, and composer Raphael Mostel. You can podcast the episode here and read comments from other urban dwellers (including some Inwood residents--nothing from Washington Heights residents yet, but I know you all have something to say) on the main Soundcheck page. 

Or you can attend the Columbia University-sponsored debate tonight with guests: 

Arline Bronzaft, Les Blomberg, Founder + Director of Noise Pollution Clearing House; and Andrew Dent, Materials Scientist and Vice President of Material Connexion.

DEBATE: Noise! Design, Health and the Urban Soundscape

09.21.09

6:30PM - 8:30PM

WOOD AUDITORIUM, AVERY HALL

Moderated by Raphael Mostel, GSAPP + Composer, Artistic Director and President, Source Music, Inc.

Community Council Meetings this Month. 34th Precinct, Wednesday, Sept. 23. 33rd Precinct, Wednesday, Sept. 30.

Former mural on Dyckman Street (Image by jag9889 on Flickr)

From George Espinal, president of the 34th Precinct Community Council:

The September 34th Precinct Community Council Meeting will take place on Wednesday, September 23, at:

STAR Senior Center
650 West 187th Street
(Broadway & Wadsworth Avenue)

Doors Open at 7pm
Meeting Starts at 7:30pm

The September 33rd Precinct Community Council Meeting will take place on Wednesday, September 30, at:

33rd Precinct
2207 Amsterdam Avenue, at West 170th Street

Doors Open at 6pm
Meeting Starts at 6:30pm

Day of the Meeting
Everyone who wishes to speak during Public Session to raise or address a concern of public safety must do so before I (President's Report) finish my report. Each Speaker will have two-minutes to raise his/her concerns to Deputy Inspector Andrew Capul and the Council. The Public Speaker's Sign In Sheet will be made available at 7pm. Lastly, everyone must sign in the attendance log book for recording keeping purposes.

Man Identified as Suspect in 14 Subway Robberies

Photo from 1010WINS

According to the Associated Press police have identified a suspect for a string of 14 subway robberies in the Bronx, Brooklyn and Manhattan, including several instances in Washington Heights and Inwood, since January. The man's name is Rasheen Williams.

The Daily News reports that Williams has 18 prior arrests for petit larceny, trespassing and possession of marijuana. He served eight years in prison for robbery.

Anyone with information on this case is asked to call the New York City Police Department's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS.

You can also submit tips through the Crime stoppers Web site.

Night Watchman Update: Things That Go Bump (and Screech) in the Night

My favorite Night Watchman posted this on the DINaction listserv and gave his blessings for a repeat run here in case you haven't seen this footage yet. Looks like things are not improving in the area, and are perhaps getting worse. To date, no one from the 34th Precinct has responded to my requests for comment on these videos. 

He writes:

Its amazing at times what this camera captures during the night. What I'm submitting right now to the forum are video clips from the last 3 weekends filmed at my neighborhood. A few viewers notified me of events happening while the cam was unattended so I had the benefit of going back and reviewing the archives.

Unfortunately it looks like my neck of the woods is starting to inherit the motorcycle plague putting drivers and pedestrians alike at risk with their reckless riding.

Descriptions and time of the time events are listed in the links.

08/16/09
http://www.justin.tv/clip/a6132a2373e5723d
http://www.justin.tv/clip/03aa1461569e9fec

08/09/09
http://www.justin.tv/clip/d52f83335c951790
http://www.justin.tv/clip/3aeec2e20c1fedb4 <- fights at almost 6am?!

08/08/09
http://www.justin.tv/clip/de8e6b8c475919ae

08/04/09
http://www.justin.tv/clip/38f738394d17eef5

Don't let this out of control nightlife happen in your neighborhood. 
Go to the SLA hearing and air your concerns. If this disintegration of quality of life happened in my neighborhood it could happen to your neighborhood. 

What I'm Looking At -- More or Less Related to our Hoods, or not.

Inwood Hill Park

Riverside living has its "perils". A Washington Heights resident and reporter writes about her change of perspective when looking at the Hudson in the aftermath of the plane and helicopter crash this weekend. (Politics Daily)

It was hot yesterday. Kids cooled off in Washington Heights. (Metro)

An investigation is still pending in the shootout that occurred on July 28 in Inwood on Nagle Avenue, near Ellwood Street. Three people were shot during a dispute, says Deputy Inspector Andrew Capul. Another shooting on July 18 on Sherman Avenue is also still under investigation. (Manhattan Times)

One parent's incredibly appreciative post about his/her family nanny on a blog dedicated to outing bad nannies. Nice to read something positive here. (I Saw Your Nanny)

Papaya Dog on Broadway and West 177th Street in Washington Heights closed its doors in late July. Was it as good as people say it was? (Eater)

Great photos of this Sunday's Dominican Day Parade on Sixth Avenue. Questionable headline. (Gothamist)

Mamajuana Group not the only ones to receive "hate mail." (Manhattan Times)

UPDATED: Schneiderman Launches Graffiti Clean Up

A graffiti clean-up will kick off tomorrow in Manhattan and the Bronx’s 31^st Senatorial District. The initiative, led by State Senator Eric Schneiderman will consist of a free graffiti removal service provided by city contractor CitySolve for residential buildings Washington Heights, Inwood, Marble Hill, Riverdale, the Upper West Side and West Harlem, and businesses on St. Nicholas Avenue, between 170^th and 185^th streets, in Washington Heights. Funding for this program was secured by Schneiderman in this year’s state budget.

Schneiderman is set to announce the program tomorrow at a press conference where he will help (with the help of CitySolve) clean up a graffitied wall at a local business on West 182^nd Street and St. Nicholas Avenue in Washington Heights. Photos to come below. 

UPDATE: The clean up kicked off without a hitch. Schneiderman and Assembly Member Adriano Espaillat coordinated a press event today to announce the new program and joined local business owners and community leaders in jumpstarting the clean up effort. 

“Graffiti is one of the most often reported quality of life issues brought to me by constituents in my district,” Schneiderman said in a written press release issued after the event.  “The residents of this community care about their streets and the appearance of the buildings that they live in, work in, and walk past on a daily basis.  This graffiti removal program will begin to tackle the problems associated with graffiti and will empower the citizens to reclaim their streets.”

“Our community has come a long way over the years, and the quality of life has dramatically improved,” Espaillat said in the same release. “Despite this progress, graffiti remains a concern for residents and the business community.  We love our neighborhood and our streets, and we will love it more when we have removed unwanted graffiti from our buildings.”

Those interested in having graffiti removed from a residential building or business in the areas described above should call Sen. Schneiderman's office at 212-544-0173.

Sen. Schneiderman begins the clean up on West 182nd Street and St. Nicholas Avenue.

Altar Erected to Honor Maximo "Flaco" Pequero, Slain Drug Dealer

Photo of altar set up to honor slain suspect Maximo (Flaco) Pequero, 28, in Wednesday's shooting. According to the Daily News Pequero was on parole "after serving nearly three years in state prison for drug sale when he was caught with 13 bags of crack cocaine." (Images by The Night Watchman.)

There is mounting evidence that the car stopped during the chase on Wednesday night may have been the same car that screamed music at "The Night Watchman" and his neighbors on Monday night.

On Washington Heights & Inwood Online, user "22 Years in Inwood" captured the time line of the police chase. It seems to have picked up on 190th Street ad Wadsworth Avenue after the once believed to be robbery, now botched drug deal in the 170s near the Henry Hudson Parkway.

Quote:

Pursuit
W 190th St & Wadsworth Ave
Manhattan, NY
7/22/2009 8:13 p.m.

Vehicle Pursuit
W 188st & St Nicholas
Manhattan, NY
7/22/2009 8:21 p.m.

Fatal Police Involved Shooting
W 188th St & Amsterdam Ave
Manhattan, NY

7/22/2009 9:13 p.m.

Now, a shrine has been erected at 191st street in between Saint Nicholas Avenue and Wadsworth, the area where the shooting occurred and reported noise problems have been ignored by 311 calls and complaints.

Cadillac from Washington Heights Shooting the Same Noise Menace from Monday Morning?

After The Night Watchman saw photos of the Cadillac driven by the man who allegedly robbed someone and took cops on a wild chase through the streets of Washington Heights, he thought something looked familiar: the car appears to be the same as the one that blasted music on and off this Monday night.

Look and judge for yourself.

Watch live video from myurbandecay on Justin.tv

Another Mugging in Inwood?

I received this comment on my site last Thursday, July 16, and have tried to confirm this event with no success. Because the comment was left publicly, I will point your attention to it and allow it to stand on its own. If I learn more, I will pass on the information. 

matthew has left you a comment:

I apologize if this is not the correct way to send you a note, but i wanted to give you a to the minute update about a mugging that just occurred outside my building on Broadway. I'll let you post this as you see fit.

Thursday night at 11:30 PM i heard some screaming outside (I live on Broadway at 204th street). I realized that it was a person shouting for police, so i ran to my window and grabbed my phone. By this time i was watching as a 6 foot white man weighing in at about 235 lbs was chasing the perpetrators and still shouting for police. They were three Hispanic guys, two of whom were on bicycles. They ended up tearing around the corner on Academy, and the victim couldn't catch up. As this was happening, I was dialing 911. They answered quickly, but spent five minutes asking me questions. I kept telling them to send a squad car as the incident was still in progress. If the dispatcher at 911 had first just dispatched a car, then began asking me questions, i believe the police would have arrived in time to chase after the muggers. The 911 operator kept asking me if it was 204th street east or west. As i am not really certain what it is designated, i kept telling her it is right at the corner of 204th street and Broadway, which is pretty specific if you ask me.

The man was pulled away from his car by the attackers and had pinned him to the ground as they went through his car and his pockets (this is what i overheard him tell the police). What amazes me is that the guy was rather large and tough looking...and these attackers were rather braze, as the incident was right in front of the Burns school on Broadway. There were people outside of Keenans, but no one seemed to want to respond to the victims pleas for help. Cars were also driving by, but no one stopped to help him. But what most frustrates me is the way 911 spent so much time asking questions that they could have asked as they dispatched a car to the scene. I recognize that the dispatcher wants to get as much info as possible to help the police, but precious minutes were lost, and the criminals were able to get away. A worse situation would have been if the attackers were physically injuring the guy as the dispatcher asked questions. I definitely plan on calling the police office tomorrow to complain about the 911 dispatcher.

Lesson for the rest of us? The streets here in Inwood are just not safe right now...no matter how big and tough you may look or be. Be vigilant as you move about at night. Be extra cautious as you go to or exit your car. And a plea as well...if you are seeing something....please try to help if you can, at the very least call 911. i am always amazed by how many people just watch, and never help. I understand that we have to be cautious about not stepping into a situation where we can get injured too, but i also believe that if more of us start coming to one another's aid, the criminals will begin to get the picture that we are not allowing this to happen anymore.