I attended the 61 precinct community council meeting last night and I am glad to say that it wasn’t boring. At the same time, the meeting wasn’t an uproarious mess, it was actually quite smooth.
This meeting was the first 61st precinct meeting to take place since “Civil Rights are Dead on Manhattan Beach†so I was expecting an uproar from Manhattan Beach and Sheepshead Bay. However, it did not seem like Manhattan Beach was there to condemn or to applaud the police officers actions on “Senior Cut Dayâ€.
Gene Berardelli was there, but did not make a statement at the meeting. Sheepshead Bay/ Plumb Beach Civic President, Barbara Berardelli said a few words. (I’m going to summarize because it was hard to hear.)
She said that what happened was wrong, she didn’t see truancy, she saw exclusion, and she wants to make sure that this never happens again. Adding that the kids are part of our community, no matter where they live; because we are responsible for them from 8 am to 3 pm.
Sheepshead Bay will not be painted with the same brush as Manhattan Beach because they left on trains from a station with “OUR†name on it.
She was really beating up on Manhattan Beach, saying that Manhattan Beach will no longer dictate the agenda without input from our side of the Bay also adding that they are willing to work(stressing work)with the 61st.
Right after her statement, Barbara Berardelli reached out to the 61 and told them that her organization wants to help and be part of the solution and not the problem.
The captain then made an explanation of the day’s events in an effort to head off a debate with Barbara Berardelli and 61st member, Cy Schoenfeld.
The captain’s statement consisted of three main points. He discussed what happened last year on Manhattan Beach, how the 61st was not prepared and how they were basically caught by surprise. He also went on to say that this year’s response was a truancy operation. All kids were told they would be picked up for truancy if they did not go home or back to school, though, he did not say there were any kids that were actually picked up for truancy that day.
The captain then addressed Barbara Berardelli’s statement by accepting their offer of help and said he would talk with them for next year.
The meeting ended with (and I’m being serious) everyone holding hands and loudly singing, God Bless America. It was kind of a cool thing to do but very weird at the same time.
Community activist Ed Eisenberg, who was obviously upset at the attention Manhattan Beach is getting, was heard screaming at one point “This will be another Crown Heightsâ€. Consider this a warning, if this “community activist†says something out-loud or directed to me, I’m going to post about it in the future.
It seems as though that there are some people who are bothered by this site. Why? I have no idea. All I do is go to local meetings, see things in my neighborhood and other neighborhoods, call it like it is and post about it here. I have no agenda, I’m not on a “power tripâ€, and I’m not affiliated with any elected official. So whoever has a problem with me; get over it.
People are bothered by your site because you are shining a light on something that they don’t want to see and on something that they don’t want the world to see.
This Ed Eisenberg guy sounds like he’s off of his rocker.
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What Resa said.
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Manhattan Beach is home to one important boroughwide public institution: Kingsborough Community College. As such, it is important that Brooklyn’s young people feel welcome and comfortable enough there to attend KCC. In addition to its other problems, any racial profiling in Manhattan Beach is a disservice to the City University of New York and its students and potential students.
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The 61 precinct is Rockin’
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I concur. There was no need for racial profiling, if it occured. All of the students, regardless of race, should have been rounded up by the NYPD and School Safety Officers for truancy, and returned to their schools or their parents. I am confused as to why so many seemingly responsible adults think that it is harmless and acceptable for students to defy regulations and cut school.
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Keep up the good work. I love reading your site.
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I too, think you do a wonderful job with your site. You do keep everyone informed. And that is what we need, to be kept aware.
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Keep up the good work, There are many of us in the community that appreciate the time and effort you devote to keeping us updated and informed about neighborhood happenings. As for the Manhattan Beach incident, it just highlights how far society has fallen over the years. Instead of the parents of these students reprimanding and punsihing their children for skipping school as our parents would have done back in the day, they will likely be running out and retaining lawyers in seach of a big payday from the City. That said, I do think that the police may have overreacted to some degree, but only after they were goaded into taking action as a result of the actions of a few individuals who orchestrated a contrived altercation in the hope of stirring up trouble.
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Who is going to represent them? Gene?
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Everybodys a critic.
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Gene deserved to be arested. If he didn’t start trouble then he wouldn’t have been in trouble. IF there wasn’t a problem last yrear with the kids and them cutting school then i don’t think it would have been a problem this year.
But know they caused so many problems that this year they weren’t welcome. I don’t blame the police at all.
They were suppose to be in school!!!! And if your problemsum then you will be removed. It doesn’t matter who you are!!!!
But the Blacks alway cry!!!!
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