Banging the Drum Against Murder
Confronting indifference to violence and mobs that maraud without cause
By Bette Dewing
“Rampaging mobs had broken into every shop there, stealing everything from designer clothing to electronics. One store stood alone, however, its window intact and its goods untouched. It was a bookstore, wherein perhaps the best hope for a better future lay ignored.”
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Adopt the Leiby Initiative and make our streets safer
Unending Good Must Come from Senseless Evil
By Bette Dewing
“If it wasn’t for surveillance cameras, Levi Aron would be free to kill again. These cameras have been instrumental in capturing previous killers, rapists, muggers, bank-robbers and the like. We need more cameras particularly in crime-ridden neighborhoods.”
Just the Facts Ma’am
Don’t criminals learn anything from cop shows?
We should call them New York’s “Findest.”
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The End of Crime?
West Side Crime Prevention ending after 30 years
It’s not every day that the end of a venerable and productive organization is cause for community celebration, but the closing of the West Side Crime Prevention Program last week, after 30 years in operation, marked a victory for the Upper West Side and its residents.
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Don’t Be Silent About Elder Abuse
Fight back against mistreatment of seniors
By Bette Dewing
So worth the saving, sharing and acting upon is the “Elder Abuse Is All-Too-Common Crime” op-ed piece from last week by Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance and Council Member Jessica Lappin, who also heads the council’s Committee on Aging (the article can also be found at ourtownny.com).
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Red Bull Heist
Blotter compiled by Ashley Welch
A Red Bull employee parked his vehicle on the corner of Amsterdam Avenue and 60th Street on Tuesday, June 7. He told police he locked the doors with two padlocks and then made a walking delivery nearby. When he returned, he found the padlocks clipped, the doors closed and 98 cases of Red Bull missing. Police canvassed the area but didn’t find any of the missing caffeinated beverage.
Gin Jam
Blotter compiled by Ashley Welch
Four males assaulted a female Wednesday, June 8, at the Gin Mill, 442 Amsterdam Ave. One of the men hit the female over the head with a bar stool, while two others punched and kicked her arms and legs. Once they were outside the bar, one of the men, waving a knife in his right hand, threatened the victim, saying, “I’m going to kill you.” The female called the police, who arrived and arrested the four males.
Three Apples in One Day
Blotter compiled by Ashley Welch
An unidentified person stole three Apple MacBook laptops from Louis D. Brandeis High School Wednesday, June 8. The computers were left on a rack in the back of an empty, unsecured classroom. The means by which they were stolen are unknown. Police searched the area, but did not find the perpetrator.
Idiot Spree
Blotter compiled by Ashley Welch
A man attempted to steal a 2005 Nissan Maxima from the MTP Parking Garage on 59th Street last Saturday. According to police, the perpetrator caused damage to the front passenger side door by hitting a pillar before exiting the car and fleeing on foot. The suspect then entered a residential building on West End Avenue, where he exposed himself to front desk security, saying, “Jump on this.” After leaving the building he ran toward West 60th Street and entered another residential building. Security then called the police, who arrived and arrested the man.
Elder Abuse Is All-Too-Common Crime
By Jessica Lappin and Cyrus R. Vance, Jr.
At the Amsterdam Nursing Home in Harlem, elderly residents—away from their families and loved ones—look to nursing aides for care and support. Although Jose Ramos was entrusted with protecting the nursing home’s elders, he instead preyed on a helpless victim and violated her in unthinkable ways. Last month, Ramos, a certified nursing assistant at the Manhattan facility, was sentenced to seven years in state prison for sexually abusing a disabled and speech-impaired resident.
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