Best Wishes For A Happy And Healthy New Year From Roosevelt Island - Goodbye 2014, Welcome 2015 With Peace, Love And Understanding
Best Wishes to all for a Happy And Healthy New Year in 2015.
You Tube Video of Bottle Band Auld Lang Syne Performance
There's no better way to party out the past year than with a traditional last song from Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes together with Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band .
We're havin' a party
Everybody's swinging
Dancing to the music
On the radio
So listen, Mr. DJ
Keep those records playing
'Cause I'm having such a good time
Dancing with my baby
You Tube Video of Southside Johnny and Bruce Springsteen Having a Party in 1978 - Lyrics are by Sam Cooke.
Here's hoping for some 2015 Peace, Love and Understanding from Elvis Costello. HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!
19 comments :
I'd rather be RI PSD today than NYPD. A PSD officer runs into trouble they can call NYPD - the danger is they don't come in time. NYPD runs into trouble they're finished either way - shoot last and die a hero, shoot first and be protested by the entire city. If I were NYPD nowadays, the only area I'd bother patrol is between my kitchen and my bathroom... let the criminals do their thing - it's not worth getting involved.
Armed robbery happens... The bridge is up for whatever reason... Nypd cannot respond. Now what?
Psd to sit on their hands?
The probability of that happening - a simultaneous armed robbery with the bridge being up (and even so, bridge closures are brief) is remote although yes - I see what you are saying, that a potential perp might "time" a robbery for when the bridge is up. But, like I said, even so, the bridge is never up for that long - it doesn't take a boat that long to clear the bridge area. If there were an armed robbery, PSD would radio to NYPD the details, then NYPD could pick up the chase in Manhattan or in the train station.although I can't see that he would take the train, he might take the train. However, there is always an NYPD posted at the train so that option would lead to capture. I just think the 3 possible escape routes do act as a deterrent to crime, such as armed robberies, on RI - given the limited exit points, to commit a crime means the perp is going to be captured, so why even consider doing such a dumb thing if the price is years of time in the joint (as they say). All crime is dumb but picking a business on RI to rob is especially dumb.
A gang war shoot out on RI? The huge danger of such shoot outs is stray bullets harming innocent bystanders or even sometimes folks in their apartments.
The only way to predict if such a scenario is likely to occur is to collect intelligence on possible gang activity on RI. Is RI actually a nexus of such activity? Can it be proven? This is a problem that the NYPD would have to deal with - once they collect the data, then an educated guess could be made as the likelihood of a shoot out. A shoot out could occur if there are gangs competing for turf - that is, sales territory - or settling some leadership dispute perhaps. If there is really no evidence of "competing" gangs, then the scenario of a gang war related shoot out is slim. There could be an intra gang dispute that escalates to a violent shoot out even if there is only one gang present. The only way to reduce the possibility of such a scene occurring is to collect evidence of gang activity and then arrest the gang members. That is potentially a very dangerous/tricky thing to do given they may be armed. Such a police action would have to be undertaken by the NYPD. In the above two cases - either an inter or intra gang conflict leading to a shootout - the probability of either type of shoot out occurring could be predicted if data on possible gang activity is collected. If there is no actual gang activity on RI other than figures selling drugs to residents, albeit that is a crime to be sure, if a shoot were to occur, it is unlikely the venue would be on RI, instead it would probably occur in the neighborhood where the gang is based.
You cannot extrapolate from tags or even the smell of weed that there are gangs on RI. There are various technical and by now probably automated ways to pinpoint activity and build a case that an individual is involved in buying and selling illegal substances or is involved in other areas of crime. If and when there is an airtight case built up, then the individual can be busted, once it is safe to assume the case will stand up in court. I doubt there are the gangs on RI - although there could be gang members coming to RI to sell drugs to islanders.
NotMyKid: Solution is same as for other emergency services: place units on Island if bridge going up, as they do for EMS and FDNY. Sounds like you're not familiar with how the Island handles these things.
I am familiar. Difference is I know how it is really handled and what the shortcomings are.
You have a fantasy plan for something that will Never ever happen and for something that is not practical to happen.
It is obviously falling on your deaf ears and you REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT.
You further refuse to enhance what is already given to you on the island, which is psd.
Unbeknown why.
An evil grudge? I think that is the case.
Gang activity is up the ying yang.
What better place to hold an organized crime organization than on an island with unarmed officers who do not engage these individuals.
I cannot think of a better place.
My point is WHAT IF these things happen?
Psd needs to make a life and death decision... Save the people they swore to protect or get KILLED.
How pathetic does it sound when you think of it..?
What if YOU were put in that situation... Would you be content to wait however long for nypd to show up or have almost instant response from PSD to SAVE YOU AND OTHERS?.
Just sit back and think of that scenario for a minute. Think of all the crime that happens in this city and then think if something terrible you read in the papers happened here and you were in the middle of it.
You do know that Transit and regular NYPD radios are NOT COMPATIBLE.
So if a crime happened on Ri with armed assailants. Chances are, they won't know about it until the perps are long gone on the train.
So, as perfect as you think things are, they are far from it.
"You do know that Transit and regular NYPD radios are NOT COMPATIBLE.
So if a crime happened on Ri with armed assailants. Chances are, they won't know about it until the perps are long gone on the train."
Thanks for "advertising" that bit of information on the blog, Not: Was that really necessary?
Anyway, I was under the impression that Housing Police, Transit Police, and NYPD are all the same agency - so why wouldn't their radios be compatible?
However, even so, you forget that we live in the age of cell phone - so even if the radios are not compatible, a phone call can be placed - at least to the token booth attendant. They can in turn alert the police in the station. Also, logically, both the 114th and PSD have all the exit points on speed dial - so if anything happens, nearby cops can be dispatched to the tram and Motorgate and cops are always stationed at the train station.
As far as the scenario you describe is concerned - a general shoot out breaking out on Main St between rival gangs - I hardly think gang leaders would select RI as a venue for such a conflict, for the same reason I doubt many gang members actually live on RI: RI isn't really that densely populated - if the gangs are involved in sales of illegal substances, the heart of their "business" cannot be on RI. The majority of the population on RI are working class/middle class with a sizable percentage that are affluent. These people would shun gang members and would be highly unlikely to deal with them to purchase illegal substances. The gang "business" must be centered in other various built up areas - much more densely populated areas. "Market share," vying for leadership and therefore greater share of the "profits" - these are probably driving the shootings or conflicts among gang members. I don't see the "market" as centered on RI for the reasons outlined above, so I do not see why a shoot out among gang members would ever take place on RI. RI is "at best" an outpost - peripheral to the center of their activities.
Yet Another RIOC project in abeyance, now a safety hazard: the open trench at the Motorgate turnaround. Just like 2 years to get Lighthouse Park Footbridges repaired, and 4 months with an open trench next to AVAC (across from 40 River Road), and curbs ditches waiting 4-5 months for a Load Of Concrete, this Motorgate turnaround project is now three months old. From the picture it looks like the drainage parts are there, but still awaiting that elusive Load Of Concrete.
It seems like RIOC has no management of their projects ... they get started and then abandoned, just like the Lighthouse Park Footbridges.
Unfortunately, the plate covering this trench is now gone. And its been an open trench like this for days.
Do we really need to remind RIOC that open trenches are a safety hazard? Why do these kinds of problems continually happen?
You forgot about two years ago there was a gang fight and a man pulled out a gun and was about to shoot.
He was shoved away by his fellow members and was ultimately arrested for possession of a firearm by psd.
Do you mean the shooting in front of the deli on July 4, 2013? I thought that was a result of a dispute between off-Islanders that had attended the July 4th bbq at Lighthouse Park - and that no-one was ever caught.
I attended a presentation on gangs given by Guerra years ago - but I just do not see, even if there are wannabes or even some who may be local "reps," how RI could be a "hotbed" of gang activity. It just cannot be given the ratios or distribution of social strata or layers. The misery index doesn't approach the level that makes illicit activity "attractive" or an "economic option" - for those unlucky and unintelligent enough to consider a life of crime. If you are going to say that gangs thrive in middle-class areas, or can even exist in middle-class areas, then I certainly disagree.
RIOC Art or Incompetence? (Or, why RIOC can spend in an instant tens of thousands of dollars on the RIOC's Directors' Wives Cherry Blossom Festival, but won't spend $500 on temporary lights for your safety.)
The first photo shows the latest reconfiguration of the light tower under Motorgate Plaza. From three blinding lights, we're now back to one blinding light (still a safety hazard). However, by peeling away some of the priority issues, we can now see that the light tower underneath Motorgate Plaza (adjacent to helix) serves No Purpose, except to light up the Bikes New York shipping container. The plaza itself doesn't need extra light because it is lit from overhead. The lighting problem in the area is the *intersection* (read: the roads), not the plaza itself. The focus should be upon lighting up the ROADWAY and CROSSWALKS from PS/IS 217 entrance to Gristede's crosswalk.
Photos 2-4 show the lack of Motorgate Arcade lighting, both on the west side (photos 2-3) and the east side (photo 4). If this were a business (or one of our building complexes), temporary lights would be erected immediately. In my prior post I pointed to Home Depot with a string of construction lights (that meet City code) for about $50 for 50 feet, about ten strings for the west Motorgate Arcade. Photo 4 is the east side without lights.
RIOC's delay of two months with no temporary lighting: how inept, reckless, and incompetent.
NotMyKid isn't talking about extremes, statistics and indexes, income levels, or anything else you're trying to associate gangs with, he's stating a fact - there are gangs on RI.
This is not a RIOC problem in specific. Parts of the sidewalk at Rainey Park was missing for two whole years after the Park Department fixed some pipes. It was hazardous because you had to walk into the street to go around it. It's government in general.
Maybe there is something to what you say - other than simply superficial "emulation" as if it's the "cool lifestyle."
Evidently, evidence of the existence of gangs on RI was noted as far back as 2002, according to this blog article/comments. Also, the video is excellent.
http://rooseveltislander.blogspot.com/2009/04/roosevelt-island-gang-initiation.html
The sad thing is that kids should end up joining these artificial "families" for "protection" - why should they need to do that if they have families of their own that are presumably there to protect them, and what is the "looming danger" in their environment, especially as non-threatening environment as RI, that would make it a "smart move" to join a gang? Or is it simply peer pressure - the wish to be "accepted" even to the extent of joining a gang?
If gangs are in 217 - which is what the implication is - as well as off-Island schools Island kids attend, what does that say about these schools? They're unable to promote a normal life (I.e. finishing HS or higher ed and working) as a "viable" alternative? What sort of job of educating kids are all these schools doing?
Score one more for Frank! I went by the turnaround earlier tonight and in response to his story, RIOC had thrown a piece of plywood over the pit!!
Of course, there are many aspects of Motorgate that are still a mess - the encrustations of bird droppings coating the structural members, the grimy windows, the darkened upper lobby level, the persistent trash and filth RIOC does not seem able to control or sweep up. And these are just observations en route to parking - what an ordinary customer or a visitor would see going back and forth to their car. It seems dirty, crumbling - there's still a cracked window in the lobby/atrium by the door to the atrium.
Contrast Motorgate with the tram. It's like night and day - RIOC seems to focus on the tram to the detriment of Motorgate, almost like Motorgate is the stepchild of RIOC. Why can't RIOC allocate more resources to Motorgate?
RIOC needs to hire a consultant to advise it how Motorgate can be kept clean on an ongoing basis.
Re the lighting - RIOC should erect some regular street lights on the E. Side of Main Street in the area of Motorgate. There is not enough street lighting in the street itself. Why is this a problem? We are not talking about altering Motorgate - which is landmarked. We are only asking that permanent street lights be placed along the sidewalk on the E. side of Main St in the area of Motorgate. I do not think RIOC has to get anyone's permission to do this and since the street lights will not be attached to the structure, they wouldn't violate the building's landmark status.
Hellooooo earth to you. We are not talking about juveniles from
PS 217.
Have you any clue? These are 17-18-19-20-21-22-23-24+ yr olds. Not CHILDREN.
JESUS CHRIST THE LIBERAL FOG IS HEAVY ON THIS ISLAND.
Having established there are gangs on the island... back to the point NotMyKid was trying to make - arm PSD.
I still think I'd rather be unarmed PSD than armed NYPD - No reason to be responsible for responding to violence on behalf of an ungrateful public. But that's not the discussion here...
More Baloney, with video: PSD Patrol Numbers, Incomplete Patrols In Motorgate. According to PSD Director McManus, 800-900 patrols/month (every 48 minutes) is just not true.
More observations on Motorgate: on Monday 01-05, from approx. 8am-noon, there were NO complete patrols. There were two incomplete patrols in that period, and PSD took at 34 minute "break" in Motorgate (note time lapse 10x video, clock timestamp at 10:35:25 through 11:10:00, youtube video time starts at 11m40s). The first patrol is incomplete, because portions/all of the north side have not been covered (clock timestamp at 09:53:50, youtube video starts at 7m30s) . The second patrol is complete because some rows (A and probably B) have not been covered. Here's the time-lapse video:
http://youtu.be/IdD3ep0HJFw
And ditto for today Wednesday midnight-9am: of those 9 hours, there were only two "potentially complete" patrols, an a couple very incomplete patrols. In the two photos below, PSD don't even patrol the top three floors, and exits right away ... a breezy drive-by patrol (photos 1 and 2). Other incomplete patrols are similar.
In summary, on Monday morning there were no complete patrols. This morning, for the 9 hours, there were only two (commencing at approximately 2:40 and 7:20). With the combined observations, the puts the monthly stats at approximately 110 complete patrols per month (once every 6+ hours), which a far cry from McManus's 800-900 Motorgate patrols a month.
Of course, RIOC/PSD could (in theory) observe these problems themselves via the Motorgate Security Camera System. (ha!)
Go strap on a belt and wear the uniform. You seem to be the absolute expert on how to do everything.
Hell... Why even have a RIOC? Call it Faranceville and be done with it.
What is psd doing about the constant noise complaints at 580? How many ARRESTS have psd made in the last calendar year?
How many index crimes have OCCURED? Still burglary after burglary?
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