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Tuesday, January 22, 2013

NYPD Says it Will Take 3 Years to Install Cameras Even Though They have the $

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Wakefield Area News

 
Crime Camera Fiasco

 

By Mary V Laura




BRONX, NEW YORK, January 22- Precincts divide their territory into sectors. Generally these are neighborhoods. Within the 47 Precinct, there are neighborhoods that are comparatively crime free and others that definitely are not. Some neighborhoods have only two percent of the crime, others 30 percent.

 

Last week we took a look at the 47th Precinct's overall crime statistics for 2012. It was not nice. Out of the 59 Precincts in the City, the 47's crime is in the top 10 percent. To make matters worse for Wakefield, its sector is the second highest in crime in the 47. Obviously the goal would be to lower that number.

 

How to do that (prevent crime) is a complex subject with many subdivisions. We mention only two: prevent crime and arrest perpetrators. Both of these functions are assisted by today's technology. Surely we are all aware of the role cameras and photography play in the apprehension of evildoers. It is almost a nightly regimen for a TV News program to show the photo of a perpetrator, or an incident caught on camera.

 

Because of that, a few weeks ago we lamented that our elected officials become engaged in any number of great-sounding schemes but neglect some very obvious constituent problems and their solutions. We mentioned security cameras to curb crime because, surely, in a crime-ridden area avoiding crime is on every constituent's mind.

 

How much crime can cameras stop? Well, they will not stop Murder or any crime not committed in sight of the camera such as some rapes and Grand Larceny, but they may well stop Robbery, Burglary, Assault, Grand Larceny Auto and shootings. If cameras were pervasive, would-be perpetrators would think twice before donning their masks.

In any case, after we wrote our column we discovered that Councilman Oliver Koppell had purchased two cameras for the 47th Precinct but that the protocol for installing them would take a minimum of three years! What kind of nonsense is that? How many criminals will escape justice while we wait for cameras to be installed?

 

In July of last year, Commissioner Raymond Kelly wrote to Councilman Koppell thanking him for allocating funds in the 2013 fiscal year Adopted Capital Budget for the purchase and installation of NYPD ARGUS surveillance cameras. He goes on to say, "Although we will make every effort to install the cameras as quickly as possible there are several steps necessary to accomplishing this task, including initiation of the contract procurement process, approval by the Mayor's Office of Budget and Management of the certificate to proceed, the selection of appropriate locations, the approval by the affected utility company or other agency (Con Ed and/or the New York City Department of Transportation) to connect to its electrical lines and available vendor resources." The Commissioner goes on to say that other Council members have allocated $8.5 million and the Queens Borough President another $2 million for the same purpose. That amounts to 649 cameras that must go through the aforementioned process before being installed. And so, he concludes that it will take about three years before the cameras are installed.

 

But wait, there is more. Placing the cameras, that is, their location is not something, which will be determined by the councilperson that allotted the money for it. “Therefore," the Commissioner writes, “In agreeing to accept these funds, the Police Department will need to retain the ability to make the final determination as to the camera locations, and to set the priorities for the installation process."

 

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Monday, January 21, 2013

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Fordham Lady Rams Extend Win Streak to Six

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Fordham Lady Rams Extend Win Streak to Six: --> (Photo by Gary Quintal) By Howard Goldin BRONX, NEW YORK, January 21- Fordham women’s basketball team (13-5, 3-0) is well ...

Fordham Lady Rams Extend Win Streak to Six

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(Photo by Gary Quintal)





By Howard Goldin



BRONX, NEW YORK, January 21- Fordham women’s basketball team (13-5, 3-0) is well on its way to its best conference record since joining the Atlantic-10 in the 1995-6 season. Fordham remained undefeated (3-0) in conference competition after a 47-40 victory over the Richmond Spiders (11-8, 1-2) on Sunday afternoon at the Rose Hill Gym in the Bronx. Fordham had never previously won its first three conference contests.
The win was also the sixth straight for the Rams, a mark the team had not reached since the 1992-3 season. The 13 victories achieved were the most the team has won in a single season since 1994-5.
The visitors led early in the contest. Fordham took its first lead, 7-6, at 14:40. With its lead at 12-11, the Rams scored 11 unanswered points to take its only double digit advantage, 22-11, with 8:30 remaining in the first half.
Fordham led throughout the second half, but a basket by Stephanie Bliney cut the lead to a single point, 37-36, with 3:40 left to play. Fordham outscored the Spiders 10-4 in the final minutes to ensure the victory.
Less than 30 percent accuracy from the floor by each team kept the score low. The Rams sunk 15 of 54 field goal attempts and the Spiders netted 15 of 51. Neither missed a shot from the free throw line.
The greatest contributor to the Fordham win was graduate student Marah Strickland. She was the only Ram in double figures, 20 points. The 20 brought her collegiate point total to 1,000. Although most of the points were scored while she was with Maryland and South Carolina, she was the 16th Ram to reach 1,000 points as a collegian.
She netted six of Fordham’s final ten points, the last four from the charity stripe with only seconds remaining.
The Rams play the next two contests on the road, at Xavier on Wednesday and at Duquesne on Sunday. The team returns to Rose Hill on Saturday, February 2, to face VCU (Virginia Commonwealth University).






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Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Maritime Loses

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Maritime Loses: --> Four Players In Double-Figures Not Enough As Privateers Lose To Mount St. Mary  BRONX, NEW YORK, January 21- The Maritime basketba...

Maritime Loses

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Four Players In Double-Figures Not Enough As Privateers Lose To Mount St. Mary 


BRONX, NEW YORK, January 21- The Maritime basketball team had four players scored in double-digits, but the Privateers fell to Skyline opponent Mount St. Mary, 75-64, Saturday afternoon at the Knights’ Kaplan Center. Maritime’s record drops to 1-11 (0-7 Skyline) on the season, while MSM improves to 9-6 (6-3 Skyline).

"We proved today we can play with anybody in our league,” said head coach Jake Scott. “We just need to put together a full 40 minutes of basketball. We’re looking forward to practice and three more games next week.”
The first three and a half minutes wound up being the difference in the game, as the Knights stormed out of the gate to grab a 14-0 lead. The advantage remained in double-figures for the rest of the first half, as Mount St. Mary shot 51.7-percent (15-for-29) to the Privateers’ 34.5 (10-for-29) and took a 41-27 lead into the halftime break.

Maritime fought back to within eight points, 41-33, by scoring the first six points of the second half, all by way of senior Ron Bethea (Harlem, N.Y./Humanities Prep.). At four separate times later in the half, the Privateers got within nine points, but were unable to go on the run they needed to get back into the game.

Bethea finished with a team-high 20 points, while also bringing down six rebounds. Freshman Kevin Blohm (Staten Island, N.Y./Tottenville) added 14 points, sophomore Sean Corley (Harlem, N.Y./Thurgood Marshall) chipped in with 11 points and a game-high seven rebounds and freshman Tim McNamara (Somerville, N.J./Somerville) contributed 10 to round out the double-figure scorers.

Mount St. Mary junior Joe Stabach led all players with 22 points, while classmate Chris Pisciotta had 11 points and junior Joe Henain scored 10 and matched the game-high with seven rebounds.






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Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Beware Phony Workers

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Beware Phony Workers: --> Scam Artists Target Morris Park Seniors By Dan Gesslein BRONX, NEW YORK, January 21- Police are warning seniors to be on the looko...

Beware Phony Workers

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Scam Artists Target Morris Park Seniors

By Dan Gesslein

BRONX, NEW YORK, January 21- Police are warning seniors to be on the lookout for a pair of phony repairmen who scam their way into the elderly’s home just to steal their valuables.

Investigators released a sketch of the man they say has been targeting seniors in Morris Park. Cops have linked the scammer to three robberies in one week. In each case the man in the sketch poses as a repairman or government worker checking on a phony report of a leak or other problem in the victim’s home. Once the victim is distracted the scammer’s accomplice sneaks into the victim’s bedroom and steals jewelry and cash.

The first incident took place at around 3:45 p.m. on January 9. In that case, the suspect rang the doorbell of a 71-year-old Morris Park home owner. The scammer said he was fixing a neighbor’s adjoining fence and needed access to the senior’s yard. Once distracted the accomplice snuck into the house and began looking for items to loot. However, the home owner came back into the house and spotted the thief. The 71-year-old went after the red-handed scammer, who then fled the home along with the phony repairman. They fled in a grey pick up truck. 

The thieves were more successful the following day striking twice. At around 3:15 p.m. the scammer posed as a water company worker. He knocked on the door of an 89-year-old woman claiming he needed to check her basement for leaks. Once distracted, the accomplice removed jewelry from the woman’s bedroom dresser.

A short time later the scammers struck again. This time posing as DEP workers they approached an elderly married couple. The phony worker told the husband and wife, both 73 years old, that he needed to investigate a fictitious complaint. As the husband and wife tested the water in their kitchen the two men took cash from the couple’s bedroom dresser. 

Cops say that in none of the cases did the crooks display phony badges or wore uniforms indicating that they worked in an official capacity.

The suspects are described as a white male and a Hispanic male. They are both between the ages of 25 and 25, 5 foot 10 and 170 pounds. 

Anyone with information should call CRIMESTOPPERS at (800) 577-TIPS. The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577.

All calls are strictly confidential.





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