An East Village resident on the scene said to Gothamist that at first the officers were “not aggressive” toward the man or the dog. “The dog was barking very loudly, as though it were protecting its turf,” the resident said. The officers sprayed mace at the dog, according to the resident, then shot it when it advanced toward them.

Police Issue Warning Over Subway Thefts
The number of cellphone thefts around the city is increasing, and the NYPD is issuing a warning to all with those and other electronic devices. Over 70 percent of larcenies occur on trains and just under 15 percent occur on platforms. Police urge New Yorkers to refrain from using their devices onboard trains and on the platforms. They also advise riders to secure their bags with the electronic devices in them. Stay away from train doors if using a device and remain alert. Thieves usually target those with headphones on since this is a sign of distraction. The NYPD also suggest registering your iPhone using the “find my iPhone” application and keeping a record of the device’s serial number to help recover the stolen property.
Tribeca Film Festival
Announces New Program
The Tribeca Film Festival announced that next year’s fest will take place April 17 to 28. They also unveiled a new transmedia program and award to celebrate new trends of digital media, as well as recognize these transmedia creators who employ an innovative, interactive, web-based or multi-platform approach to story creation.

Filmmakers are encouraged to send in narrative features, documentaries and short-film entries. Bombay Sapphire gin supports this new program. Sept. 17 is the first day for submission and Nov. 30 is the official deadline. Check out other deadlines and the submission form (available Sept. 17) at tribecafilm.com/festival.

High Summer Demand for NYC Apartments
The city’s rental market hit an all-time high in May, according to a FiDi report created by downtown real estate firm Platinum Properties. The report also confirmed that in June, the rent on studios increased again by 1.7 percent, one-bedroom apartments increased by 0.98 percent and two-bedroom apartments increased by .07 percent.

Two new developments, Metro Loft’s 166 John St. and Magnum’s 254 Front St., are adding to the needed supply of apartments as rental inventory is decreasing due to the high demand. New York renters report on the Apartment Ratings website that average rents are increasing by about $112 this year.

Schumer and Kelly Look to Create Cell Phone Database to Crackdown on Rampant Thefts

In our crime watch section, cell phone thefts are a common occurrence and are becoming an increasing strain on the NYPD. Last year, say police, almost 42 percent of property thefts involved a cell phone. And the fact that cell phones, like the iPhone or Android phones, can easily be resold on the black market once the SIM card is thrown away is further fueling these type of thefts. Just last August, a 16-year-old boy was reportedly beaten and robbed of his cell phone inside a Brooklyn train station.

The problem, it seems, has become so rampant and widespread that U.S. Senator Charles Schumer and NYPD Police Commissioner Ray Kelly have successfully persuaded cell phone carriers and the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) to create a database of unique cell phone identifiers. These identifiers, known as International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI), would allow companies to permanently disable cell phones that had been reported stolen, thus rendering the devices worthless on the black market.

According to the Senator’s office, IMEI’s function similarly to Vehicle Identification Numbers (VIN), which give cars a unique identification number. Senator Schumer is also going one step further and introducing legislation to make it a federal crime to tamper with phones with an IMEI number, with a maximum sentence of five years in prison for those found guilty.

“With the press of a button, carriers will be able to disable phones and turn highly prized stolen property into worthless chunks of plastic,” said New York City Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly. “Like draining the swamp to fight malaria, we’re trying to dry up the market to fight i-phone thefts.”