SHEEPSHEAD BAY'S ONLY INDEPENDENT NEWS BLOG

Manhattan Beach now has some eyes in the sky after two NYPD security cameras were installed last month in the beachfront community.

The cameras were made available with state funding, initiated by Borough Park Assemblyman Dov Hikind, who pushed for them after the tragic abduction and murder of Leiby Kletzky in 2011. While most of the cameras were placed in Borough Park and Midwood, Councilman Chaim Deutsch said he worked with the state pol to ensure some funds would be set aside for Manhattan Beach.

The cameras are on lightpoles on West End Avenue, one on Oriental Boulevard the other on Shore Boulevard, covering the two most utilized exits and entrances for the community.

Although the neighborhood is not a high-crime hotspot, Deutsch said it was important for Manhattan Beach to have the cameras, since it’s a heavily trafficked area with seniors and children using the parks, as well as thousands of Kingsborough Community College students coming and going every day.

“If a child leaves a house and is missing, or an Alzheimer’s patient, we can go back and look at it and see if they left or came in,” said Deutsch. “It’s not really for the high crime area. If there’s a missing person, child, patient, at least we have some kind of direction.”

The cameras are not monitored in real time, and will only be accessed by NYPD personnel, the pol said.

Source: Allan Shweky

The New York City Department of Transportation on Friday announced 14 new “arterial slow zones,” major corridors that will see speed limits slashed by five miles per hour as part of the Vision Zero initiative. Coney Island Avenue and Flatbush Avenue are both on the list, with implementation to begin this fall.

The first slow zones were implemented yesterday on Jerome Avenue in the Bronx and 7th Avenue in Manhattan, the first phase of the program. The speed limits will be lowered to 25 miles per hour from 30, with new “distinctive” signs with blue-and-white coloring and the name of the corridor to complement the DOT’s existing Neighborhood Slow Zone program. Alongside the signage, the streets will see increased police enforcement and temporary lighted speed boards.

The entirety of Coney Island Avenue will be converted to a slow zone in September, with Flatbush Avenue from Concord Street to Hendrickson Place (near the Belt Parkway) to follow in October.

The program is part of the Vision Zero initiative, which aims to eliminate traffic fatalities citywide. Ultimately the agency will create a total of 25 arterial slow zones, according to the Vision Zero website.

Arterial roadways make up only 15 percent of the total road system but account for 60 percent of the fatalities, according to the DOT. These 14 corridors make up only 65 miles of roadway, but account for 83 fatalities.

Coney Island Avenue is 5.5 miles long, and accounted for six fatalities between 2008 and 2012, while Flatbush Avenue is 7.1 miles long and accounts for 11 fatalities.

The speed reduction required approval from Albany, which it received in June. You can find the list of all 14 arterial slow zones here.

Local pols are praising the measure, saying it will help reduce deaths at some of their district’s busiest intersections.

“Coney Island Avenue has long been a dangerous thoroughfare for seniors and others attempting to cross with a constant flow of traffic whizzing by. I’m pleased that the city is implementing these forward-thinking measures that will succeed in calming traffic and, most important, saving lives,” said Assemblymember Steven Cymbrowitz, in a DOT press release.

“Improving safety on our streets benefits all New Yorkers, and anyone who has crossed Coney Island Avenue knows how hectic and dangerous it can be. I am very pleased that pedestrian safety continues to be a priority for our city and that one of southern Brooklyn’s busiest streets is included in this plan,” said Councilman Mark Treyger in the same press release.

“This second phase of Vision Zero being implemented along Coney Island Avenue is an indication that my voice, in advocating for traffic calming measures, was heard,” said Councilman Chaim Deutsch, also in the press release. “I applaud Mayor de Blasio and Commissioner Trottenberg for improving the safety of motorists, pedestrians and cyclists throughout my district.”

The following is a press release from Councilman Chaim Deutsch:

Council Member Chaim Deutsch is pleased to announce the success of his first community clean-up event that drew nearly 100 volunteers to Sheepshead Bay Road on Sunday. Armed with rakes, shovels and brooms, volunteers turned out to pick up trash from neighborhood streets.

“We’re taking pride in our neighborhoods – block by block across our district. Coming out and volunteering is sending a message to violators that we demand a clean neighborhood,” Deutsch stated. “Cleaner streets promote social and economic improvement, whilst giving our children and families a clean, safe place to reside.”

This event, the first in a series of clean-ups in Council Member Deutsch’s district, aims to promote unity and community activism, all the while drawing attention to the Council Member’s top priority: cleaner streets. Council Member Deutsch is proud to have funded various clean-up initiatives in this year’s budget and is actively reaching out to local small business owners to educate them on ways to keep storefronts clean.

“Many thanks to the Department of Sanitation for their commitment to working with me to promote cleanliness, as well as for the donation of gloves and garbage bags and the loan of brooms, shovels, dustpans and rakes,” said Deutsch. “Together we are making our neighborhoods an even better place to live, work, and do business.”

Please contact Council Member Deutsch’s office at 718-368-9176 to learn more about future community clean-up events or to share suggestions that will help Deutsch address problem areas.

The next Community Clean-Up Event will be held on August 17th on Avenue U.

View photos from the cleanup.

The NYPD announced the arrest of 18-year-old Malique Young yesterday evening, the second and final suspect wanted for the shocking assault and robbery of an 18-year-old woman in Midwood on Sunday.

Young, of Flatlands, is charged with robbery in the second degree. His alleged accomplice, Tyler Hoppin, 18, was busted Wednesday night and charged with robbery, assault and criminal possession of stolen property.

Hoppin and Young are accused of following an 18-year-old woman into her Avenue M and East 18th Street apartment building. The video shows the woman enter the elevator, followed by two men who abruptly drag her into the hallway by her hair and begin pummeling her with their fists before making off with her bag. They then tossed the bag into bushes outside of the building.

In the video, the man believed to be Young is the first to grab the woman, and the two knock her to the ground. Young holds her down while the man believed to be Hoppin begins punching her repeatedly. As the woman continues to struggle, it does appear that Young kicks and punches the woman.

It is not yet clear why the cops have hit Young with a lesser charge.

Tyler Hoppin (Source: Instagram)

Councilman Chaim Deutsch praised the police for the quick capture of the suspects, and said the incident highlights the role clear surveillance footage can play in crime fighting. He sent the following statement:

I commend Deputy Inspector Richard DiBlasio and the NYPD’s 70th precinct for their dedication and commitment in the apprehension of the second suspect in the July 27th assault in Midwood. The timely arrest of the two culprits in this vicious crime is also due in part to the existence of clear, quality surveillance footage that was obtained of the attack. Security cameras are becoming increasingly significant in the policing and safety of our neighborhoods, as is demonstrated again in this most recent crime. I will be reaching out to Brooklyn DA Ken Thompson to share my concerns and I am confident that he will prosecute the two perpetrators to the fullest extent of the law.

Following an aggressive police search that included requests for help from the public and Councilman Chaim Deutsch’s offer of $2,500 for information leading to the arrest of two individuals wanted in the alleged assault and robbery of an 18-year-old in her Midwood apartment Sunday evening, the NYPD announced last night one arrest has been made in regards to the crime that was caught on surveillance tape.

Tyler Hoppin, 18, of Canarsie, was arrested and charged with robbery, assault, and criminal possession of stolen property, police said.

According to police, the two suspects followed the victim into her apartment building near Avenue M and East 18th Street around 9:40 p.m. Sunday. The suspects were shown on the surveillance tape pulling the woman from the elevator, after which police said they allegedly punched and kicked her and stole her purse.

We tracked down Hoppin’s instagram photos, which feature many a selfie and photos of food.

While police have not yet announced a second arrest, Deutsch, who commended the NYPD for nabbing Hoppin, said it will hopefully be imminent.

“Under the command of Inspector Richard DiBlasio, the 70th Precinct worked swiftly and diligently to apprehend one of the perpetrators of this despicable crime,” Deutsch said in a statement to the press. “I am confident that another arrest is forthcoming. I thank the hardworking officers who continue to keep our streets safe and our children protected.”

Video via the NYPD. Photos via Instagram.

Signage for bus lane enforcement (Source: DOT)

The B44 Select Bus Service route on Nostrand Avenue became the latest in the city to feature camera-enforced bus lanes, but a snag in mailing out violations and the functioning of the cameras themselves has caused drivers unaware of the new restrictions to receive dozens of violations months after the incident.

The Department of Finance and Department of Transportation conceded that the agencies had failed to send out the tickets in a timely manner, catching drivers unaware and allowing them to repeat the mistake.

Councilman Chaim Deutsch won the concessions from the agencies, who are now agreeing to suspend mailing and to review all violation that occurred on the route between March 17 and July 25. Motorists will still be fined, but only for the first violation they received, and refunds will be issued to those who have already paid.

“When people get a violation, it’s to educate them that they did something unlawful and they have to stop,” Deutsch told Sheepshead Bites. “Having it come to them three or four months later doesn’t serve that purpose. Given that it’s the newest SBS bus lane, a lot of people still don’t understand how it should be used even though there are signs posted.”

Deutsch said the cameras were also taking multiple photos of the same vehicles, causing additional violations for the same incident. He said the DOT has corrected that problem.

During active hours, a vehicle may only enter the bus lane to make a right turn, drop off passengers, or make or receive a delivery. More about bus lanes can be found in this DOT handout.

The violation carries a $125 fine, but with motorists unaware of the changes and not receiving the summonses promptly, they were fined multiple times. Deutsch said one constituent received approximately $7,000 in fines. He added that about two dozen constituents have already reported this problem to him, “but there’s a lot more.”

Camera enforcement on the route will remain in effect, but the agencies said they will go through their records and contact those who received multiple violations. If you think you’re one of them, you can speed up the process of having the summonses tossed or receiving a refund by calling Deutsch’s district office at (718) 368-9176.

By now, we all know the area has a garbage problem. But it’s time to stop griping and start pitching in to make the community better.

Here’s your chance: Councilman Chaim Deutsch is organizing the first street clean-up Sheepshead Bay has seen at least since Sheepshead Bites launched more than six years ago.

The local pol is providing everything you need to lend a hand: shovels, brooms, rakes and bags. All you need to do is show up in some grubby clothes and put in the work.

The clean up kicks off at 10:00 a.m. and lasts until 4:00 p.m. Volunteers will meet at Sheepshead Bay Road and Voorhies Avenue, and the group will go up and down Sheepshead Bay Road and to Emmons Avenue bagging trash and litter for the Department of Sanitation to pick up.

See the flier above for details.

From the office of City Councilman Chaim Deutsch:

Click to enlarge

Well, this is certainly something new. Councilman Chaim Deutsch and the Bay Improvement Group are teaming up to bring live music to Emmons Avenue’s Driscoll Tucker Park, beginning this Sunday.

As you can see from the flier above, there will be three dates, with three hours of live music each day, beginning at 3:00 p.m.

Tucker Park is on Emmons Avenue at East 27th Street, right next to Stella Maris Bait and Tackle shop. No word on what type of music will be playing, but the flier says bring dancing shoes. Though I do not own those particular kind of shoes, I’ll stop by anyway.

The head of the New York City Office of Recovery and Resiliency is getting behind the Bloomberg-era plan to replace the Riegelmann Boardwalk’s wooden slats with concrete, saying that concrete fared better in Superstorm Sandy.

Recovery chief Daniel Zarrilli testified before the City Council last Thursday, telling them that the choice of concrete was a “sound” decision since it performs better in storms.

He added that the de Blasio administration will continue to replace the wooden boards with concrete going forward.

Bloomberg made the decision to replace the boardwalk with concrete after instituting a citywide ban on tropical hardwood in public projects, the material the boardwalk, as well as other fixtures like benches, have historically been made of. It has been fought for several years by locals who want to see the iconic wood stay, and they even filed suit against the city in 2012. Several compromises were sought, including using alternate wood materials, plastic and a combination of all three – although the city made clear its preference for concrete.

But the announcement that the new administration will stick with the plan because it performed well in Sandy is sure to be challenged by critics. In the wake of the storm, locals said that the concrete allowed sand to pile up on the boardwalk, and also served as a less effective buffer protecting the community from the flooding. They also say the concrete accelerates erosion and is less effective at drainage during storms.

The two councilmembers whose districts overlap the boardwalk, Chaim Deutsch and Mark Treyger, both support using wood.