There Oughta Be A Law
Good morning! Whether or not it’s actually literally officially fall — it’s fall. Put on a sweater and take a gander at this here September 6, 2019 edition of East & Creek, the Greenpoint newsletter.
What’s up in Greenpoint?
Locals made up for lost time during a lengthy meeting on Wednesday of the NYPD 94th Precinct’s Community Council, the first such meeting in three months. The dozens of residents gathered in the basement of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Greenpoint heard complaints relating to off-leash dogs in McCarren Park and un-helmeted Revel riders, as well as allegations of miscommunication within the local precinct over an individual violating a court-issued order of protection last month.
Christopher Boissard, a convicted sex offender prohibited by court order from entering significant portions of Greenpoint, was spotted in the neighborhood in August, according to postings from local residents on social media.
Just as soon as locals described Boissard violating the order of protection, they reported hitting a brick wall: officers within the 94th Precinct, under the mistaken impression that third parties cannot report protection order violations, initially weren’t addressing the matter.
Boissard has since been arrested and indicted; a spokesperson for the Brooklyn District Attorney told e&c that Boissard had been charged with criminal contempt.
During Wednesday’s meeting, Greenpointer and victims’ advocate Deborah Spiroff welcomed the NYPD’s claim that the precinct had re-trained its officers in response to the confusion, and condemned what she characterized as a mishandling of the situation: “What it took to get here was unacceptable.”
Other issues raised Wednesday by community members included loitering near Huron Street Senior Housing, reckless driving by construction and film industry truck drivers, and safety surrounding construction work at the Greenpoint Ave subway stop.
Though those gathered came with their respective bones to pick, NYPD’s Glynn remained sanguine, reporting that crime within the precinct year-to-date was down 15.9 percent over the previous year — 506 felonies so far this year, compared to 602 during the same period last year.
Charges seem unlikely in the July death of a cyclist in Greenpoint; the NYPD said Wednesday that the “unfortunate accident” was “still under investigation.” The NYPD also reported that, overall, collisions year-to-date in the neighborhood were down 12 percent from the same period last year.
And as for other matters:
Mark your calendars for a public meeting of Brooklyn’s Community Board 1, next Tuesday at 6 p.m. at the Swinging Sixties Senior Center. Preview the agenda here.
It’s a steal: “After an extensive renovation, one of Greenpoint’s humble 19th-century homes—one that was reportedly once owned by a ship’s captain—is now on the market for just under $5 million, making it one of the priciest properties for sale in the neighborhood.” (Curbed’s Amy Plitt)
On Saturday at the Brooklyn Expo Center, “one of the country’s largest regional antiquarian book fairs returns to Greenpoint for its sixth year.” (Greenpoint Post’s Allie Griffin)
Stephen Levin, who represents sections of waterfront Brooklyn ranging from Greenpoint to Brooklyn Heights, “asked Department of Corrections officials about parking, building density and an alternative to demolishing the current Boerum Hill jail during the City Council’s only public hearing on the mayor’s borough-based jail plan Thursday.” (Brooklyn Daily Eagle’s Noah Goldberg)
Meanwhile in New York City…
Your Subway Weekender
G - Normal service.
L - “Normal” slow-down service.
Thus concludes this September 6, 2019 edition of East & Creek, the twice-weekly newsletter about Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Read the full archives here.
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See ya around the neighb,
Jon Hanrahan
Author, e&c