It's a good thing I'm moving soon...

...because violent crime is seems to be occurring closer and closer to my house.

J. and I drove by on Forest Hills Street around 4:45pm on Saturday and wondered why there were so many cops and a medium-sized crowd of people gathered on the corner of Rossmore and Forest Hills streets. Not to mention the two or three police cars that were parked in the immediate area. I commented that the films crews I've seen in the area (mainly at Doyle's) did not seem to require nearly as many police officers. Then we spotted the yellow tape - definitely not a film crew.

Aftermath of violence

The Wake Up the Earth Festival took place today in the same park where a young man was killed recently. The basketball court where he died has become some sort of shrine to him.










More pictures can be found here.

Reflections on violence II

Every time a siren can be heard I see my neighbors outside looking around more, instead of ignoring them like we usually* do. There are more parents outside with kids, gripping their hands as the sirens blare. Their body language indicates that they're wondering if something violent has occurred even closer to home.


*We live in proximity of a police station, so sirens aren't terribly unusual.

Reflections on violence

What a wonderful thing to come back to after a trip to NY to visit the family - there was a shooting near my house on Monday.

In a park that I often drive or walk by. A park that tends to be filled with children – on the playground, playing baseball, shooting hoops, etc.

I realize that I live in a city and that shit happens.

But it just seems kind of ballsy and brazen to shoot someone during the daytime in a park filled with people. JP isn’t perfect, but the areas between the Green Street and Stony Brook T stops tends to be a quieter, feel a little safer… until Monday.

Neighborly hate crime in the 'burbs

A anti-Semitic hate crime where the victim is not actually Jewish. Fascinating.

Excerpts from the Milford Daily News:

Franklin - A 50-year-old King Street resident already charged with a hate crime against his neighbor stabbed the man in the hand yesterday with a knife, police said.

Wallace then cut a tire on King's car before turning to him and saying, "I'm going to (expletive) kill you," King said. He came at King with a hunting knife, aiming for his neck and face, but King, an ex-Marine, said he parried the blow and knocked the weapon lose.

In addition to the attack, Wallace is accused of slashing one of the tires on King's car, police said. In January, Wallace was charged with violating King's state constitutional rights for allegedly painting a swastika and the word "Jail" on his apartment door. King's ex-wife is Jewish, and he said he found the graffiti offensive.