This past weekend the Gerritsen Beach ball fields dugout and newly planted trees have been destroyed. Vandals ripped up and tossed around more than a hundred trees. They also severely damaged the dugout bending fence poles completely out of shape.
For those keeping track, they did not last 30 days.
The specific area of the back weeds , formally known as woodchips, behind PS 277, is now part of the nyc million tree program. The parks department and hundreds of volunteers planted these trees no more than 30 days ago. As soon as you walk back there went you will see more than a hundred trees ripped up and tossed around. Worse yet, sitting right in the middle of all of these trees is a mural with a Gerritsen Beach little league golf outing t shirt flapping around on top of it.
Some of the problem is the area itself the fields are very dark at night which and the dugout is not visible on a good night.The dugout is behind trees on Channel Avenue and the street lights don’t reach back there. The tree area behind the school suffers the same issues and would be almost impossible to see at night as it is uphill and behind containers.
I guess they didn't see the sign. Clean Up or You're Out!
Halloween is here and after some preparation, police and local plans are being rolled into action. Even the MTA has an emergency action plan for the B31. Although the MTA says suspensions “will be likely” I hope we can prove them wrong. The property owners association from their announcement, has organized a good amount of people for their roving patrols, and the 61 and 63 precincts will have a presence in the area.
Although I have no official knowledge of how the 61st, 63 and Parks will deal with Halloween in Gerrtisen Beach, I’m going to guess there will be a presence of marked and unmarked cars, and plain clothes officers. The 61 commanding officer will be in the area as well. If you are a parent, I would make sure you keep an eye on them because summonses and arrests sound likely.
Remember all NYC Parks close at dusk and anyone committing a crime will be arrested (no matter how old).
Update: 1:00pm (It’s about time we retook the streets)
Brooklyn South Task Force greets you when you come in.
G.G.R.M.M.B.B.R. - Great Gerritsen Round Mau Mau Barrell of Beer Race.
We haven’t done a Gerritsen Beach Property Owners Association roundup in a while because there hasn’t been anything to talk about. So here are the cliff notes.
Kiddie Beach is wrapping up the season, congrats to all.
Racoons - are overwhelming some areas of the beach. Especially the areas with an abandoned lot or home. The city does not acknowledge a raccoon problem nor do they have any actionable plan or advice. The responsibility is on the home owner. However, if you see “rats” in an empty lot or abandoned home the city will come in clean it up a bit and bill it to the property. Call 311.
Hurricane Irene- Rumor is they shut down the Knapp sewer plant which could be to blame for the sewer backups into homes. People were opening sewer caps, sewer manholes to try and get rid of water with no success.
17 Lacon Court (aka Jemal) – The DOB has already issued $13,300 in violations with three more about to go into default judgment. They are on top of the situation but they do not know who the owner is, as their violations notices are being returned. There is A LOT of stuff going on there, expect an update soon.
Dangerous & Damaged Utility Poles – No one is having luck getting action dangerous or damaged utility poles as each company Verizon, ConEd, and NYC passes the blame to each other. Some have reported it reported it to 311, others the 61 precinct, and one has gone to every city office ten times to demand action.
Little League Walkway, Scoreboard, Containers - GBCares sent out a letter on behalf of the Gerritsen Beach Little League asking for $500 monetary donations from organizations to repair the cement walkway, paint the scoreboard, paint the containers, and plant flowers around the flag pole in time for the 9/11 ceremony. Everything is done except the cementing, which is awaiting an architect plans to be filed with nyc parks. GBPOA plans on donating the full amount.
Flag Vandalism - Most of the flags at the Little League were vandalized breaking the poles and brackets those will be replaced.
Seba Traffic Light- No one knows when it is switching on. Seba will be a flashing red (aka a stop light), while Gerritsen will remain green.
9/11 Ceremonies - Marine Park at 5:00pm, Gerritsen Beach Little Leauge 7:00 pm
Halloween - Halloween is coming (again) some members of the GBPOA will be walking the streets. A few plan on attending the 61 & 63 council meetings to demand an actual response.
On Thursday, August 18, 2011 at approximately 0725 hours, police officers responded to calls of a body in the water at 3078 Gerritsen Ave within the confines of the 63 precinct. Upon arrival, officers discovered a M/W/28 unconscious and unresponsive on the shore of the location. EMS responded and pronounced the aided DOA. There are no arrests at this time, ME will determine the cause of death and investigation is ongoing.
Update11:45AM From information gathered at the scene.
There was a bar fight involving two brothers and another group that spilled into the streets. One brother was stabbed near Everett avenue and collapsed across the street in the weeds. He was transported to a hospital and is in critical condition. The other brother was stabbed and found DOA at the point.
Update 12:20PM Police are waiting on a warrant for a person of interest on 3609 Filmore Ave between 36 and 37th
Update 2:00pm The internet has identified the body as Timothy Murray and the stabbing victim as Ryan Murray.
Update 5:00pm The 63 has arrested someone in connection with the stabbing. A warrant was issued for Samuel Edison.
This is a breaking story and will be updated as information becomes available.
Warning: The below picture may be graphic for some.
Operation Safe Cycle In late 2010, New York City cyclists began receiving summonses for failure to stop at red lights, reckless operation of a bicycle, and other offenses. The operation has made it’s way from the more dense park slope to our streets.
Avoid an expensive summons follow these laws.
Bicycles are defined as vehicles under the New York State law. Cyclists have all the rights and are subject to all of the duties and regulations applicable to drivers of motor vehicles.
Cyclists in New York City must
Ride on the street, not on the sidewalks (unless rider is age 12 or younger and the bicycle’s wheels are less than 26 inches in diameter).
Ride with traffic, not against it.
Obey all traffic signals, signs and pavement markings. Cyclists must come to a complete stop at red lights and stop signs. Cyclists are required by law to exercise due care to avoid colliding with pedestrians, motor vehicles or other cyclists.
Use marked bike lanes or paths when available, except when making turns or when it is unsafe to do so, etc. If the road is too narrow for a bicycle and a car to travel safely side by side, cyclists have the right to ride in the middle of the travel lane. Bicycling is permitted on all main and local streets throughout the City even when no designated route exists.
Not ride on expressways, drives, highways, interstate routes and thruways unless authorized by signs.
Not wear more than one earphone attached to an aud io device (e.g. radio, ipod, walkman)
Use the following safety and visibility equipment:
White headlight and red taillight must be used from dusk to dawn
Bell or horn (not whistle)
Working brakes
Reflective tires or reflectors
Helmets must be worn by children age 13 or younger, and helmets are strongly recommended for all others.
Have at least one hand on handle bars
NOT carrying more passengers than a bicycle is designed for.
NOT have a motor assisted bicycle
Download a complete listing of New York City bicycle rules: English
This past weekend police from the 61 and 63 precincts came down to crackdown on ATV’s back weeds and on the street. This enforcement came as a result of all the recent attention to the Radio Controlled Society of Marine Park.
At least one community member said “It’s about time…they [the riders] are not from this area and they are dangerous.”
The police ended up confiscating a few ATV’s from anyone who was riding on the street.
As much as it pains GerritsenBeach.net to bring it up: All weekend long kids were throwing rocks at people, buses and cars again from Seba Avenue Park.
One resident even tried to reason with the kids:
Tonight I was at the skate park…a group of teenagers ages ranging 13-15 were throwing rocks, scooters, and pretty much anything else they could at busses, car services, and houses across from the skate park….I told them what they are doping is absolutely dumb…but they dont listen. I called 911, and no response. They continued to terrorize for almost two hours. No one cares. Sucks man. This neighborhood is funny, the parents dont give a !@#$ , and apparently neither do the police. Ridiculous..
They were throwing rocks at the bus shelter while a young man was sitting there waiting for the bus with his girlfriend. If it would have broke. you could have killed one of them. Thats also very unintelligent of you all.
Ive never once in my life felt the need to call 911. However tonight, even I felt like i was in danger,and thats !@#$%^& up. thats not what this neighborhood is about. People shouldnt have to worry about a$$hole kids throwing rocks at them in Gerritsen Beach. Not smart guys. Unsafe, not cool, and totally stupid. it’s time for a reality check. Your generation is !@#$%^ up, and thats sucks cause you are all unfortunately the future of this neighborhood. Things arent looking up. =(
We have also heard on good authority that one of the Radio Control Airplane guys saw a kid that he thinks was involved in throwing rocks at his vechile and started to yell at him. The kid ran home got his father, and a how dare you accuse my kid started and the Airplane Guy left for fear of retaliation.
Editorial note: People have accused GerritsenBeach.net of “creating” these problems saying that they do not exist, have never existed and only exist because we wrote about it. They do exist, we are just the messenger. We hate these stories as much as you do because they are horrible to hear about and more horrible to know that it’s our kids. We only bring these stories to your attention to make you aware of what is happening in your community. However, If you have ever seen any historical Gerritsen Beach paper you would know that the issues we face today are the same issues that have been around since the year of the flood. We are judged on how we react to the situation. We have always intend to show the great things of the neighborhood and will continue to do so. We will show the “bad” when it becomes a neighborhood issue.
Halloween in Gerritsen Beach is always bad, but in years past the police at least attempted to show up even if it was a lacking response. This year the teens ran unchecked by police and terrorized a neighborhood all day and night.
50+ teens held their ground at Gerritsen and Florence Avenues and Seba Avenue Park for a better part of Halloween. They formed a firing line on both sides of Gerritsen Avenue. They were throwing eggs, shaving cream cans, potatoes, rocks, at anything that drove past and anyone who dared to confront them. They even started throwing eggs at people, parents with young children and strollers. One parent said “I saw them jump a delivery car with kids banging on it, eggs getting slammed into it and some ran on the car”
Everyone was calling 911. There was not one person on Gerritsen Avenue who was not on the phone with 911, or the 61 and 63 Precincts desks. No police responded.
An older man in his late 60′s was driving along Gerritsen Avenue when his car was hit by eggs, when he exited the vehicle he was pelted by dozens of eggs, rocks were thrown, chucks of brick, and someone tossed a hammer. Parents and community members stepped in to protect this man and started to chase the kids to away.
As the Vollies were investigating a possible weed fire. Fire Chief John Czapp’s jeep was pelted and he was hit in the face with an egg. No police responded.
NO POLICE SHOWED UP TO RESPOND. Let’s let that sink in. After possibly dozens or more 911 calls over a two to three hour period NO ONE SHOWED UP.
If you thought the kids behavior was disgusting, the police behavior was incomprehensible. Everyone felt helpless as the neighborhood was terrorized by the teens
After a few hours the 61st Precinct did sent one marked car which was pelted. But as soon as it pulled up the kids ran back weeds and the patrol car left. The kids cheered in victory. The officers did not exit their vehicle nor speak with anyone. They simply left.
The 63 did send two community affairs officers who were also pelted in their unmarked car. They did exit their vehicle and pursued the teens by walking on foot to see if they can catch some of the kids. The kids being locals – immediately ran to the woodchips and exited at channel.
They put out of commission three buses. Shutting down the B31 line. The bus operator and bus supervisor called 911 – No response.
They pelted a deliveryman on a moped assaulting him – No police response.
In a classic hate crime approach the teens also chased two hasidic jewish men throwing rocks at them
They covered cars on Gerritsen Avenue with shaving cream.
GerritsenBeach.net has been covering Halloween for years now. This was by far the worst Halloween. It was not even this bad when the previous 61 Commanding Officer Captain Stella neglected the neighborhood. At least he sent marked patrol cars and supervisors down at the last minute. However Deputy Inspector Mastrokostas seems to have abandoned Gerritsen Beach letting criminals terrorize the neighborhood, leaving residents to resort to vigilante justice. Shame on them.
Editorial note:
We’ve decided to keep the orginal post “as is”. No pictures, screenshots or names will be taken down. The pictures in question were in taken in plain sight on the street, where there is no expectation of privacy no matter what the age.
Screenshots were available publicly therefore submitted to the public domain.
Comments or pictures containing names cannot be verified. Their level of involvement has not been determined or proven. Everyone is innocent until proven guilty. There has been no comment by local authorities.
There have been numerous reports floating around the comments here and Facebook about an incident yesterday in Seba Avenue Park.
The incident was that either one or multiple kids from out of the beach tried to intimidate a Beach kid out of his cell phone and there may or may not have been a weapon flashed.
That’s all the information we have at this time. We welcome you to update us all in the comment below. We will update you as we try and get more information.
I think it is safe to say Gerritsen Beach has an interesting relationship with NYC Parks Department. You would know this if you ever walked your dog, flown an R/C airplane, volunteered for GBCares, went for a walk or even more heavy handed like: built/dug a fort, had a keg/jungle juice party, played paintball, lit a bon fire, rode a quad or dirtbike, or did any other unscrupulous behavior.
The community and the community groups biggest issue is with the Dirtbikes and Quads. They say they dangerous for other motorists, property and pedestrians because the ATV’s (quads and dirtbikes) are usually speeding up and down the courts and avenue uninsured and unlicensed without helmets. While the community kicks and screams to the police department and parks the community usually take an unofficial position of out of site out of mind, meaning stay back weeds, where they would become a Parks Enforcement problem.
In a bit of irony, There was a recent article in the NYTimes highlighting how the Parks Department is training some employees on proper ATV handling. It described how they were kinda-sorta were putting birds in danger in the process. A Parks worker mentioned they saw a killdeer plover nest in the area. He said, “Two of her eggs are broken. I hope we didn’t do it.” Killdeer plovers are ground-nesting birds!
Let’s say this and please pay attention! The community groups are calling for more enforcement for these ATV’s, Councilman Lew Fidler wants more enforcement everyone wants to see more enforcement because of the money being pumped into Seba Avenue Park. More importantly, There is a new Parks Enforcement Captain and there is a new Parks Manager, they both have power they need to flex and they both have a renewed interest in our area specifically enforcement. They will be meeting with the 63rd Precinct to see how they can better step up enforcement and both parks and the NYPD will stepping up their enforcement with the nicer weather. The nicer weather is more or less here and people – maybe you – will be using the back weeds more often. You need to be aware that parks will be looking to summons you, then when you hit the street the police will be waiting for you.
Maybe taking cue from the HEATED and long debates going on here at GerritsenBeach.net, Lew Fidler our city councilman is echoing calls for hearings to investigate alligations of misconduct, even asking for a audit by the comptroller’s office.
“People can misinterpret or misuse statistics all the time,†City Councilmember Lew Fidler told Courier Life. “It just strikes me that the crime statistics we hear are too good to be true.â€
Ladies and gentlemen and boys and girls of Gerritsen Beach,
All of theSeba Avenue Park vandalism has touched a nerve with our community and especially our councilman who is responsible for the funding to build our park.
On Monday, there was a major meeting convined at Lew Fidler request at his office with: Brooklyn South, the 61st and 63rd Precinct’s, the GB Property Owners and GBCares. During that meeting battle plans were drawn up discussed on what kind of enforcement by the police would be taken.
In short, there will be arrests with possible jail sentences, and criminal court summonses for anyone caught in the park after dusk, vandalizing, dealing, etc. More importantly, the police may be bringing in kids for interrogations, to lead to an arrest for the fires, vandalism, etc.
Here is what was read at the last property owners meeting a letter from Lew Fidler:
On Monday, together with your President, John Douglas as President of GB Cares, and with representatives of all our elected officials (Assemblyman Maisel, Senator Golden,. Congressman Weiner), and our Community Board (Terri Scavo) I convened a meeting with the NYPD Both the 61st and 63rd Precincts were represented by their Commanding officers, DI Cangiarella and Captain Mastrokostas. Brooklyn South was represented by Lt. Jimmy Woods. The Parks Department was represented by both outgoing Parks District Manager Alex Mezzatesta, and incoming District Manager Larry Major.
We made it crystal clear to the police officials present that the culture that allows vandalism to this community’s packs must be changed, and changed measurably before
more of our tax dollars are poured into improving our park. Clearly, the mere fact that we had asked for this meeting rattled a few cages. Both precincts reported stepped up efforts and patrols along Gerritsen, including the issuance of 4 summonses by the 63rd for people being in the park when they shouldn’t have been. George confirmed this, having spoken to two of the youngsters who got the summonses.
I indicated that the proof will be in the pudding…that we as a community expect results. And let me be clear; by results I mean arrests and possible jail sentences…. or a long term period when there is no vandalism. No park benches destroyed. No fires in our skate packs. No arson in the weeds. No bus shelters being smashed in for sport.
All agreed that a cooperative short must be launched with the community and the police. NYPD agreed to send Community Affairs officers to the schools, and to GB’s faternal organizations like the Knights and the Cort Club to get the message out and to increase presence. All agreed to cooperate in that effort
As always, time will tell. Results will or will not speak for themselves. I do have the assurance from Chief Fox that if this doesn’t work and more needs to be done, it will be
done. I remind each and ecery one of you: whether or not you personally use this park or not, it IS your tax money.
I think Gerritsen Beach is entitled to a first class park for use by and for the Gerritsen Beach community For the past 8 years, I have dedicated time and resources to get this accomplished. I know that together we can make this happen.
The Gerritsen Beach Property Owners, took the position of  ”in no way are you going to arrest our kids”. Which was sorta echoed by the police at the meeting who said something to the effect of “Gerritsen Beach is a tight knit community and there is no way they are going to give up there own”. (I don’t know if I should be proud or embarrassed by that statement.)
The position that the GBPOA is taking is the right one, and they are taking action instead of sitting back. They are going to spread the word that the shenagians at the park are no longer tolerated and to at least warn our kids. At the same time, they are organizing kids events at Kiddie Beach, and talking with local businesses to arrange other kids nights, to “start getting them off the streets”.
Lew Fidler is also in the right. It’s his job responsibility to make sure the police are doing their jobs in his communities and to make sure the money he is brining in to build Seba Park isn’t going to literally “burn up“. The threat of arrest’s, if they happen, are also just. That park has had a bad year, and when you couple that with bus shelters – those two are our community’s major quality of life issues and it’s been that way for years and it needs to end.
Spread the word, use the park as it’s intended, and don’t be in there at night.
Gerritsen Beach is seriously angry and residents are not going to take it any more. In the works is what I am calling an “all out offensive” against the vandals who are dismantling in OUR park.
To stop this vandalism “once and for all”, Councilman Lew Fidler is bringing together the 61st, the 63rd and Brooklyn South to combat the vandalism at Seba Avenue Park.
The Councilman is calling upon residents of Gerritsen Beach to be as angry and upset at “local children” as he is and take action. He is asking residents to figure out a way to stop the vandalism at Seba Avenue Park. Which will all be discussed ASAP.
He cited that one of the major problems is the dividing line of the 61st and 63rd precincts.
Here is the thing (vandals should take close note of what is saying). We are a small community and people with positions within the community ALREADY KNOW WHO YOU ARE. Now a city councilman is bringing together three precincts because of the fires, broken trees, benches, carved swastikas that YOU caused. At this point it may already be too late for some of you the rest can head this warning: NO MORE DESTROYING THE PARK and make sure no one else is going to.
There are going to be no more warnings, it sounds like lots of summonses and arrests with a massive show of force.
Although we pointed out that the Seba Avenue is just senseless vandalism and not some bias incident.
After a bit of research it turns out that Etching, painting, drawing or placing a swastika on public or private property without permission, along with cross-burning, are considered felonies punishable by up to four years in prison. Really? Yes really!
On top of that, the police have been issuing “a few” summonses to people in the park after “closing”.
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