Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams and Fort Greene City Councilwoman Laurie Cumbo today called for a multi-pronged emergency approach to help ward off the escalation of violent crime both in Downtown Brooklyn.
The lawmakers comments came in an early morning press conference following yesterday’s Downtown Brooklyn rush hour fatal shooting of a 17-year-old boy and the wounding of an 18-year-old boy.
According to published reports the incident began when a group of teenagers started fighting near a McDonald’s on the corner of the Flatbush Avenue Extension and Fulton Street – the same McDonald’s that had a teen brawl several months ago.
Witnesses told reporters the fight spilled down the block and ended in gunfire in front of Applebee’s on Flatbush Avenue near Dekalb Avenue at around 6:10 p.m. Sources told reporters the gun play was over an apparent turf war between an East New York crew and a Fort Greene crew.
“We have to get all the agencies involved. The violent crime is no longer confined to neighborhoods like Brownsville. Now it’s in Downtown and it will have an impact in tourism and the rebirth and renaissance of Brooklyn,” said Adams. “This corridor of business can’t become the OK Corral of violence.”
Cumbo suggested that the escalation of violence among youths, which is often gang related, should get the same kind of emergency attention that last year’s Ebola outbreak received. She also suggested that more police be assigned to the 88th Police Precinct, which patrols the area.
The lawmakers also suggested the city and state pony up $10 million in emergency funds to local non-profits, religious and cultural institutions that work in the “crevices” where better community policing is unable to reach local youths.
Adams also called on the Department of Education to keep longer after-school hours so teens have a place to go after school. He also called on the local business community and the public/private Downtown Brooklyn Partnership to become part of the solution, and suggested they help fund after-school programs.
The shooting was just the latest of several violent incidents that occurred this year around Downtown Brooklyn including a gang of about 20 teens harassing venders and shopkeepers on Joralemon Street and a brawl outside the Barclays Center that left a teen stabbed and a cop pepper-sprayed.
While overall crime is down for the year within the confines of the 88th Police Precinct, violent crime is soaring. Thus far this year there have been eight murders as compared to two at this time last year, and shootings incidents have more than doubled over last year.
