By Alissa Fleck

After a police officer was shot last week, some Lower East Side residents and workers have mixed feelings about the safety of the area.
The incident occurred around 3:40 a.m. last Thursday during a routine patrol of the Seward Park House complex. Officer Brian Groves reportedly opened a stairwell door in the complex’s Essex Street building when he saw the suspect carrying a pistol. The suspect allegedly fled down the stairs, but turned back to fire on Groves, who returned fire before realizing he had been shot near the heart. Fortunately, he was saved by his bulletproof vest and is expected to fully recover.

At the time of the shooting, Groves, 30, and his partner were performing a “vertical patrol,” a sweep of a building starting at the top floor working down.

Police Commisioner Raymond W. Kelly said in a statement, “The vertical patrol that [Groves] and his partner engaged in is a common, proactive police practice to give some measure of safety to residents of public housing.” He added, “Approximately 4 percent of the city’s population resides in public housing, but it experiences about 20 percent of all violent crime.”

The shooting took place between the 18th and 19th floors of the building after the officers began to pursue the man. Groves dropped near the 15th floor, and the gunman escaped. It’s unclear whether the gunman was shot.

According to the Seward Park House Cooperative’s website, the complex was operated for over 30 years as a limited-equity co-op, allowing it to receive tax subsidies for keeping apartment prices below market rates. They now sell at market rate.

Thursday afternoon, the surrounding area was cordoned off with police tape. Officers said it would be closed at least for the day.
One MTA worker at the Delancey/Essex Street subway station said, “I feel safe, but the community is not safe. The Chase Manhattan Bank [at the corner of Delancey and Essex] has been robbed twice. It’s not safe for police officers; it’s not safe for anyone.”

Jeff Andrews, a resident of the area, said it was the first time he had seen anything like this in the neighborhood. “This is a big thing,” said Andrews, a three-year resident of the neighborhood. “It looks like World War 3 over there.”

Andrews believes police were being overzealous in their search for the gunman and alleged that police were searching every apartment. “They’ve been here since 2:30 [a.m.],” he stated, pointing to the long line of police vans in front of the housing complex.

When asked if the incident made him feel any less safe, Andrews answered, “I guess something’s got to happen sooner or later.”

Another resident, Mike Duvall, said he had been living nearby for 22 years. Duvall said the incident “doesn’t change anything” and he still “absolutely feel[s] safe.”

A construction worker who had been working nearby for months also said he felt no less safe after the shooting.

Groves is the ninth police officer shot on duty this year. As of last Thursday afternoon, police were still looking for the suspect, described by Kelly as “a black male in his 20s, about 5-foot-9, thin build, with his hair braided in corn rows, wearing a black T-shirt with red basketball shorts with beige stripes.”

A scene from the protest on Sunday. Photo courtesy of Wiki Commons.

by Adel Manoukian

Reverend Al Sharpton joined thousands of people marching silently at a “Stop-and-Frisk” protest rally held on Sunday, June 17, organized by the Reverend, the NAACP and Local 1199 of the SEIU union.

About 300 civil rights groups were represented in the roughly 30-block walk from the northwest corner of Central Park to Mayor Bloomberg’s townhouse on 79^th Street. Police barricaded the area around the Mayor’s home and his aides would not specify if he was home. The silent march suddenly became loud and rowdy once the large turnout reached the home after about 2 and ½ hours, as activists shouted and tried to push past barricades to continue the walk down Fifth Avenue. According to witnesses, fights broke out, including some scuffles between protestors and the NYPD. Nine arrests were made by police under counts of assault, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct.

The NYPD’s “Stop and Frisk Policy”, from the mid-90s, is under much scrutiny by residents, elected officials, and labor union members because of the police’s tendency to stop young male blacks and Hispanics. Out of the roughly 700,000 people stopped and frisked last year, 87% were black or Hispanic.

Mayor Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Ray Kelly understand efforts must be made by police to have more respect for those who are stopped but they stand by the policy, saying “Stop-and-Frisk” keeps crime rates low and guns off the street.

Gay and lesbian activists also made appearance, showing the growing alliance between civil rights groups and them. This comes after the Board of NAACP, a part of which are many church leaders, voted to endorse gay marriage.

The march was reminiscent of NYC’s “silent march” for civil rights in 1917 after race riots in East St. Louis.

The New York Post reported that Hernandez told police he “lured the boy with candy, stabbed him, cut up his remains and put them in plastic bags.” Hernandez is said to have worked in the area at the time of Patz’s disappearance, and the Post writes he had admitted to killing a child to several family members and others. While police were looking for new leads in the basement of the Prince Street building, at the intersection of Spring Street, a relative of Hernandez reportedly called police.

This timing of this news is particularly interesting as Patz went missing on May 25, 1979, almost 33 years to the day of Hernandez’s arrest. Patz, who lived with his parents and two siblings on Prince Street had begged his parents to walk along to catch the school bus on nearby West Broadway. He was last seen walking to the stop that morning.

Patz soon became the poster child of missing children across the country, and thanks to the tenacity of his parents, he became the first child to have their face on a milk carton.

Sean Sweeney, Director of the SoHo Alliance and a longtime neighborhood resident, recalls when SoHo was filled with artist lofts and industrial retail stores at the time of Etan’s disappearance. The residents were a very close knit community, he said.

“When Etan Patz disappeared, his mother contacted all the other mothers. There wasn’t a lamp post south of 8th St. that didn’t have his missing child poster on it,” said Sweeney. “I think part of Etan being so well known was that his parents were tenacious. His father was a photographer and they had a good picture of him. At the time, missing children were barely reported in the news or not at all.”

Update:

During a public statement to the press yesterday evening, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly confirmed the arrest of arrest of Pedro Hernandez, 51, of Maple Shade, N.J., for murder of 6-year-old Etan Patz.

Hernandez who worked as a stock boy at a bodega and lived in an apartment on W. Broadway. According to his 3 hour confession to police, Hernandez lured Etan into the bodega, located on 488 W. Broadway,  with the promise of a soda before choking him to death. He then placed the body in a plastic bag and tossed it in with the garbage.

“Earlier this month the NYPD missing person’s squad received information from an individual which led them to identify Hernandez as a person of interest in Etan’s disappearance on May 25, 1979,” said Kelly. “In the years following Etan’s disappearance, Hernandez had told a family member and others that he had, quote, done a bad thing and killed a child in New York.”

New York City Comptroller Calls for an End to Stop-and-Frisk
City Comptroller John C. Liu released a statement calling for the abolishment of stop-and-frisk tactics by NYPD officers. According to Liu, there were nearly 700,000 instances of New Yorkers being stopped and frisked last year, nearly all of them targeting Black or Latino people innocent of any crime.
“It’s just impossible to say stop-and-frisk is not racial profiling, and continuation of this practice not only violates the department ban against racial profiling, it raises civil rights questions,” Liu said, decrying the tactic. “It also poses a potential financial liability to the city, as evidenced by rising claims against the NYPD and the federal judge’s ruling allowing class-action status in a stop-and-frisk lawsuit.” Supporting Liu’s claim, there were 2,241 civil rights claims filed against NYPD officers in 2011, up 23 percent from 2010.
Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer spoke in agreement with Liu’s assessment, but applauded Commissioner Ray Kelly’s acknowledgement that greater training and oversight is needed in current stop-and-frisk procedures after the commissioner announced changes to officer training, monitoring, supervision, transparency and accountability. Stringer also spoke in support of the “call-in” approach, a proven tool for reducing violence.

State Senate Passes Resolution to Honor Beastie Boys Founder
Last Tuesday, May 15, the New York State Senate passed a resolution introduced by State Sen. Daniel Squadron honoring Brooklyn native and Beastie Boys founder Adam “MCA” Yauch for his contributions to music and political activism.
Yauch and the Beastie Boys gained prominence in New York City, which is reflected in the resolution. “The Beastie Boys exemplified New York through a period in which grassroots creativity and a community of iconoclastic artists helped redefine and rejuvenate a city on the ropes, with iconic imagery from Brooklyn to Ludlow Street,” reads part of the resolution.

Governor Ends Food Stamp Finger Imaging
Last week, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the end of finger imaging for food stamp recipients. The practice was thought to prevent many hungry New Yorkers from acquiring much-needed food at a time when one-third of New York City’s children live in poverty. Arizona now remains the only state to continue this practice.
“It makes no sense for children to go to bed hungry while we waste local tax dollars on a senseless program that puts food farther out of reach,” State Sen. Daniel Squadron said, applauding the governor’s decision.
The reform also impacts the elderly. “Removing stigma and ensuring dignity in applying for food stamps for the elderly is critical,” said Bobbie Sackman, director of public policy for the Council of Senior Centers and Services.
The Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies  also announced its support of the governor’s decision, praising the removal of this “needless hurdle” in a time of economic hardship.

Christine Quinn insists she didn’t overreact by walking out of the living wage press conference yesterday.

But Bill de Blasio called Quinn out for her departure, saying that if she truly believed in the cause, she would have stayed.

A rally in support of John Liu, the comptroller essentially said he would be running for mayor.

Ray Kelly says he is “contemplating” a run for mayor.

Manhattan

Charlie Rangel says ballot switcheroo rumors about him are “flattering.”

Melissa Mark-Viverito and Inez Dickens, contenders to be the next Council speaker, both showed up at the John Liu rally.

Queens

Joe Addabbo is starting to fundraise for his race against Eric Ulrich.

Elsewhere

There a number of congressional rematches this year, as New York Democrats see the 2010 Tea Party wave as a one-time fluke.

Sean Patrick Maloney is the state Democratic Party’s pick to take on Nan Hayworth.

George Demos’ new ad calls Republican primary opponent Randy Altschuler a “despicable” loser.

To read more from City & State click here.

Andrew Cuomo reportedly is open to endorsing Ray Kelly’s possible candidacy, but would wait to see the outcome of the Democratic primary.

Malcolm Smith joked that he might throw his hat into the mayoral field.

Brooklyn

Who else may be eying a Brooklyn BP run, now that Carlo Scissura is out of the race?

The David Storobin campaign staffer accused of petition fraud will appear in court on Tuesday.

Queens

State Sen. Toby Ann Stavisky said her new district is much like her old one.

The Queens Chronicle slammed Grace Meng for her consultant’s ties to a newspaper that runs prostitution ads.

Meng said in an email that the consultant, Michael Nussbaum, has a very limited role in her campaign, though he’s been described as Meng’s main consultant.

More labor endorsements were rolled out in NY-6.

State Senate

The Department of Justice gave initial clearance to the Senate redistricting lines.

To read more from City & State visit www.cityandstateny.com.

A poll commissioned by the Daily News shows that New Yorkers want Ray Kelly to run for mayor, but that it wouldn’t be a cakewalk.

An account of Bill Thompson’s evening at an intriguing rooftop party in Williamsburg.

State Senate

A college professor will formally announce his Senate bid today against Tom Libous.

Steve Katz released an ambiguous statement about whether he will stay in his race against Sen. Greg Ball.

Brooklyn

The David Storobin campaign staffer accused by Lew Fidler’s campaign of ballot fraud has been subpoenaed.

Gatemouth says that Storobin needs to see the writing on the wall, and run for Assembly.

Queens

Wal-Mart politics may be involved in NY-6.

Dan Halloran landed the Fire Marshals endorsement.

Liz Crowley got TWU Local 100.

And Grace Meng got South Asian support.

Elsewhere

Common Cause filed an amicus brief on the 63^rd district lawsuit.

1199 made endorsements in five House races.

House Majority Leader John Boehner sees New York as a potential trouble spot for congressional Republicans.

To read more from City & State click here.

Top city and state Republicans are setting up fundraising and paperwork for NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly to jump into the mayor’s race in 2013, without Kelly’s involvement.

Council Speaker Christine Quinn is reportedly trying to force Manhattan Borough president Scott Stringer to drop out of the mayor’s race.

NYC mayors have come from Manhattan for nearly 40 years, something a couple candidates are hoping to change.

Brooklyn

The special election in Brooklyn to replace former Sen. Carl Kruger is costing $1 million, 25 percent more than anticipated.

Could Simcha Felder end up running with both Republican and Democratic support?

Queens

The NY-6 race features a slew of ballot challenges.

James Sanders registered a campaign committee for his run against Shirley Huntley.

Manhattan

The Times looks at Harlem’s racial shift and the effect on political power there.

Adriano Espaillat is starting to rack up endorsements in his congressional race.

One of them came from Sen. Gustavo Rivera, who is himself getting a challenge.

Elsewhere

There’s a likely Democratic primary to replace Rep. Jack McEneny.

To read more from City & State click here.

NYPD Police Commissioner Ray Kelly. Photo courtesy of Wiki Commons.

2013 Mayoral Race

Following a report that NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly is open to running for New York City mayor, Republican leaders will make a full-court press to convince Kelly to do so at a meeting on Staten Island early next month.

Kelly did not deny that he was interested.

Scott Stringer wants to bring back the suburban commuter tax.

State Senate

Senate Democrats have reaped $85,000 in campaign contributions from the state teachers union since they skipped last month’s vote to cut pension benefits for new teachers and other public employees.

A political rival filed an ethnics complaint against Tom Libous.

The redistricting lawsuit may be decided on Wednesday.

Brooklyn

Hakeem Jeffries would like the retiring Ed Towns’ endorsement.

Towns insists he would have emerged victorious.

Charles Barron is largely self-funding his campaign.

U.S. Senate

Marty Golden endorsed Bob Turner’s campaign.

Elsewhere

A lot of money is going into the Maggie Brooks/Louise Slaughter race.

Things are heating up in the primary to take on Rep. Nan Hayworth.

To read more from City & State visit www.cityandstateny.com.

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.”