City Councilmember Chaim M. Deutsch (D-Brighton Beach, Manhattan Beach, Sheepshead Bay, Homecrest, Midwood) along with Reverend Kevin McCall of Crisis Action Center and community leaders held a rally at Asser Levy Park in Coney Island on Wednesday to speak out against and address the rising shooting and homicide rates in the city.
NYPD stats show steadily high percentages of shooting incidents and victims in southern Brooklyn precincts compared to last year, a concerning trend in most parts of the city since June.
“This is what I call a perfect storm,” said Deutsch about the circumstances leading up to the uptick in gun violence this year, “Between COVID, between people losing jobs, businesses shuttering, people being closed up at home not able to go out, parks being closed–People are just afraid of others. The attitude over the last five months is we were taught to stay away, and that’ll have lasting effects here in the city.”
Deutsch, a self-described conservative Democrat and member of the public safety committee, said he has not received any solutions for protecting communities, which is why he is opposed to defunding the police. “How can you defund public safety without a backup plan to keep us safe?” asked Deutsch.
Deutsch said he is in favor of amending the diaphragm section of the chokehold bill the city council voted for to “uncuff the police.” He said he supports bringing back undercover crime units, and as a part of an amendment to bail reforms, giving judges discretion when sentencing.
“I agree — two people, one has money, one doesn’t have money, and they committed the same crime, one should not get out,” said Deutsch, “But judges need discretion to handle violent offenders.”
At the end of the day, Deutsch and McCall said people need to come together, discuss, and educate one another to figure out what needs to be done.
“We don’t agree on everything,” said McCall of his discussions with the councilman, “But we agree that there’s a problem in New York City, preferably in Brooklyn, where the violence is out of control. Something has to be done, Mayor [Bill De Blasio] hasn’t done anything.”
McCall criticized portions of police reforms, that have come in the wake of the national reckoning with race following the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police, saying that there’s been no real leadership from city council either, especially with the surge in gun violence.
Pamela Hight, with The Godsquad Clergy Council of the 67th Precinct in East Flatbush, said that she’s already lost two sons to gun violence in Coney Island and upstate New York. “I’m here to let the families know that they’re not alone,” said Hight.
Pastor Gilford Monrose, President of The Godsquad, explained that the census was a key component in redistributing resources into neighborhoods hit hard by gun violence, fireworks, and COVID-19 cases that have also been classically underfunded and undercounted in the past. Monrose said because of worries about impending violence they called for 900 youth jobs as census workers and social distancing ambassadors.
“We’re coming from different walks of life. We’re where the shootings are taking place. They’re where they hear the shootings taking place. It’s a difference,” he said about how important it is to have resources and youth education. “These are the youth who are influencers who go back into the community.”
Steven D. Patzer, candidate for City Council District 47, said that in the summer crime rises and it’s not a good time for the morale of police officers to be low. Patzer said as someone who’s been to Black Lives Matter and pro-police rallies there are “sensible police reforms.
“Like having the commissioner appointed by majority vote in City Council, the Mayor doesn’t get to push around the NYPD. Having officers go through social worker training,” said Patzer, “Bringing the officers back to New York City, right now they don’t send their kids to our schools, they don’t drink our water. They can’t relate to our struggles.”
Other featured speakers included Rabbi Joe Potasnik, Geoffrey Davis, and Imam Ahmed Ali, who also preached about the need for more unity in the face or violence.
“No one should have access to guns. They are not toys. Only law enforcement should have guns and they should have special training,” said Ali, who thinks gun violence like COVID-19 does not discriminate.
Ali helped the Al-Rayaan Muslim Funeral Services on Coney Island Avenue prepare over 400 religious burials at the peak of the COVID-19 wave.
“Weapons can hugely damage humanity and we don’t want that. We’re all the same. We’re all humans,” said Ali.
