James St: security camera's

[fiona]

Well, the cameras may be up and running on James Street, but, ...all you fashinistas know that crime, like fashion is seasonal... and now, grey is the new black... or whatever... the gang has just moved down to Clinton Place... and a little farther uptown. I was waken up at 4 AM this mornng by some guy out on the street screaming " gimme all your money, mother f///////er!" These people are like slime. No, not slime, I wouldn't insult slime, it has a senesence to it and a function in the scheme of life. These people have none; suffice to say they have no" social redeeming value", as my good freind who lives out of town is often wont to say. I wonder if anyone has noticed all the new gang graffiti uptown- say- in the last 90 days- I see it every day- and more is going up, more messages, which rival gangs are marking over... So, they put cameras on James Street. I am only somewhat impressed. This city is a nest of crime that needs to be cleaned out. Look around you at the decay, ect. There is a house on Clinton Place that burned out two years ago. It is falling down, the top is falling onto the street, I have seen rats running in the light of day on the front porch, the top of the house is completly open. Last month someone climbed up on the porch and knocked in all the boards that were covering the top windows. I took multiple photos of it and sent them to the Mayor, asking him to please take it down. Absolutly no response. I submitted it to the OD"S private eye along with photos. Months ago. They declined to print it. Black is the new grey...Clinton Place is the new James Street... I rest my case.

[frankcor]

Wow.


That's powerful writing, fiona. Is it time for another camera?

Are there really gangs? Or gang signs? I don't recall seeing gang signs before the UPD started promoting them.

[Ralph]

Frank, Back when I was running Weed & Seed we knew there were gangs developing on the streets.
We had forums and workshops with leading "experts" on gangs and they told us the same thing......behind closed doors.

Pylman had a strict policy that "there are no gangs in Utica". You just didn't talk about it or discuss it, even though they were there that far back.

They are still here and moving about is nothing new to them. James Street provided them with a very busy street that was hard for the UPD to watch, but easy for them to operate on.
Now that the cameras have taken a good percentage of their freedom from doing that, they simply move on.

Clinton Place and the Oneida Street area around there has been a "work in progress" for them for a number of years. Now they are just expanding their horizons so to speak.
And yes.....it IS as bad there as Fiona says it is.

[frankcor]

Heaven help us.

[fiona]

I will tell you what it is like any evening, nite, on Clinton Place, Genesee and Oswego. I will tell you the truth as I see, hear, experience it. Then you can draw your own conclusions. Let me begin by saying that I have called my ward person, Mr Phillips, at least 8 times in 4 years. Only once has he returned my call, and his excuse was, after 3 weeks, that he was on vacation. Not one other call has been returned. NOT ONE. I have complained constantly about noise, teenage gangs, graffiti, fights, crime, dirt, prostitution, drug dealing in the Rite Aide parking lot and at the Citgo gas station, unkempt properties, dog s...t everywhere, trash, wandering psychotic mentally ill persons, homeless men, people walking unmuzzled pit bulls, speeding cars with obscenly loud car radios, just to name a few. This is a typical night: The noise and the traffic start after 9PM at the gas station. One can only look out the window to see the drug handoffs, ect. cars then park in the Rite Aide parking lot, near the Clinton Place exit. I see drug handoffs there all the time. Prostitutes begin gathering any warm, and not so warm nite, on Clinton place near Genesee. Sometimes they are there till dawn and have fights over " territory"

[fiona]

People gather at the corner of Clinton and Genesee, hiding back in the shadows of the Olbiston. In the morning there bottles of cheap booze line the steps or are thrown, smashed, onto the grass. I often see used condoms on the ground by the back door. About 11 PM gangs of teenagers come down from Oneida Street, pass the building and cross Oswego to West Utica. About 3-4 AM they come back, up Clinton place. They are often fighting, obscene, break car windows, smash bottles in the road, whatever. Last year two women had a fight around midnite under my kitchen window. They were really going at it. One pulled off the others hair piece and threw it in the road. The next day it was still there. I picked it up and hung it on a telephone pole where it stayed like some shrunken head for several days, until it either blew away or someone took it. Around 10 Pm until 3-4 AM the drug dealers drive by advertising there wares by the type of loud music they play. Often, there may be several or more of these cars at once, like a parade. The work F...k is heard at least 100 times a minute. the music is so loud that my whole apt vibrates and my windows rattle in their casings. In the morning it is quite for a while, until the salvation Army opens for lunch. After that, around 5 PM you have your wandering, unsupervised, uncared for mentally ill, psychotic person, trying to hustle for a dollar or cigarettes. Then, when I come back, lets talk about waiting for a bus, or simply taking a walk: It's hustle time, baby!

[frankcor]

I don't know if you're inclined to take it to the streets, so to speak, fiona.

Perhaps Mr. Phillips will feel compelled to respond to your concerns if you spoke to him during the public comments section of the next 10 or 12 common council meetings. Of course, you may end up being the target of a SLAPP -- lawsuit intended to shut you up -- like Ed Wiatr in New Hartford.

[Clipper]

She needs to align herself with Bobbbiez and attend the meetings together. Now THERE would be a formidable voice, if they joined forces and attended ALL the meetings. Sounds like two hearts, similarly aligned, but on different sides of the arterial.

[concerned]

There has also been an increase in tagging around the Chancellor Park area and even in area's downtown. Sometimes I think we need to take up arms and take aim and shoot at these degraded individuals. It could easly been done from the safety of one's own apartment.

For the past several months the talk on CENTRO buses is that west Utica and south Utica( Salvation Army area) is the new James St. I guess all the talk is true.

Maybe the Mayor and the Chief of Police as well as the council members should be invited to Clipper's Corner.

[bobbbiez]

Fiona, we have the same problem here in W.Utica Have to say our Neighborhood Watch Groups have improved the authority's focus on these gang-want-to-be's. Because of the N. Groups problem areas are focused on and more officers are assigned to those areas.

You might want to go to the meetings in your area. You sound like a very vocal lady and that's what is needed in these groups. Once the authority get to know you and know you're gonna keep up the bitching, they will jump to correct the problems you bring up. That's the truth.

If you are interested and would like to attend, I will be more then willing to take you to my area's group meeting first and then will attend your area's meeting with you till you feel comfortable in attending by yourself.

These gangs in our areas are want-to-be's. They are not organized gangs and move from one color to another. They roam the city and cause havoc in all our neighborhoods. Most are just young punks who feel strength in groups, but can be controlled by the public getting involved and working with the proper authority in keeping them informed of the group's activities in their neighborhoods.

Had to do that Saturday morning at 1:30am. We had a group roaming our streets again. Called the police and was told cars were already on their way. Seems I was another on their long list of complaining calls about the situation. The rest of the night was very quiet.
This is exactly what we need. I was very happy that others were finally doing what they should be doing. At one time, not too long ago, I was the only one doing the bitching. Now, I have back- ups and together we can keep our streets under control.

[dgriffin]

Bobbbiez, Fiona, Concerned and others, I feel terrible for all of you. I won't question your motives for staying in your neighborhoods (or being trapped, whichever is the case), but I have to say I could never live like that.

I mean, holy sh*t, I'd leave. Soon. It would be extremely dangerous not only for me, but for the first little f**ker I shot dead before going off to prison! (Not exactly moving up, I know. Not exactly "Christian," either.)

I admire your spunk and determination. But I would get the hell out. I know that's easier said than done, and what a shame it is to think these neighborhoods once housed families of humans who cared about life and each other. Now the streets are filled with animals who have rights no sane person would have granted them only a hundred years ago. I'm not talking about their race, but their behavior.

What would have Sheriff Gilmore or Chief Dimbleby have done with them? Carted them off wholesale and dumped them in the Mohawk.

I am a nice person who tries to live a decent life and to help out where I can and treat the downtrodden with respect and as much love as I can muster. But these beings sound more than disadvantaged. They sound evil.

[dgriffin]

Apr 26, 2009 10:47:52 GMT -5 frankcor said:

I don't know if you're inclined to take it to the streets, so to speak, fiona.

Perhaps Mr. Phillips will feel compelled to respond to your concerns if you spoke to him during the public comments section of the next 10 or 12 common council meetings. Of course, you may end up being the target of a SLAPP -- lawsuit intended to shut you up -- like Ed Wiatr in New Hartford.

Frank, if I may:

SLAPP - Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation

According to New York Supreme Court Judge J. Nicholas Colabella, "Short of a gun to the head, a greater threat to First Amendment expression can scarcely be imagined."


en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_lawsuit_against_public_participation

[fiona]

;D I may take you up on that BobbieZ. I am currently busier than two beavers, but if you let me know the time and place, I can get to City Hall easily. As you may already realized, I am not easily silenced. Yes, concerned, that is the truth, Clinton Place is the new James Street. I was just out to the drugstore and a guy was walking down the street screaming at no one: "Get the f////////uck outa my crib, mother f''''''''ker! He was chanting it and screaming it at the same time. No one paid any attention.He was just part of the scenery. Now, lets talk about hustle: It is impossible to walk anywhere ( on what is left of the Hill) and not be hustled by someone for something. People are brazen, and, if you ignore them, they are dangerous. Why do they do this? Because they can. Case in point: Several years ago I was in the laundramat, 2 women came up to me and accused me of stealing their laundry. One woman was so close to my face I could see her tonsils, I had to wipe the spit off my glasses. She was literally raging at me. The attendant called the police. They took 45... FOURTY FIVE.... minutes to get there, then, on top of that, they denied it, saying it was only 20 minutes. In the meantime one of the women kept coming at me, calling me an F..........ing w. bitch, and she was going to "put me over the moon". The attendant had to lock me in the back room, because I couldn't leave. Now, I am not easily intimidated, but these two had me. The police finally arrived. I was so upset I could hardly blurt out what happened. The officer calmly told them to leave me alone. That's all. They were totally disinterested. I was finally able to finish my wash and leave. I was like a wary animal, watching them out of the corner of my eye. This type of thing happens all the time. The UPD doesn't care. It's just another day in the hood.

[bobbbiez]

Fiona, will let you know when the next meeting takes place. They are usually held at the Holy Trinity School toward the end of each month. Just missed the last one held last week because of my surgery but sent my son in my place. I will keep you informed and will pick you up if you'd like me to.

A rep from the police department is always at the meetings and you can voice your complaint there. Believe me, if you don't get results from the officers answering to your call, Deputy Chief Mark Williams, will take care of business. He does not fool around and wants us to inform him of such doings.

I will keep in touch with you. In the meantime, if you have a problem please call Williams and tell him I suggested you call him personally and he will help you with what ever.

[bobbbiez]

Dave, has nothing to do with a "motive." This is my home and has been for 28 yrs. Why should I move every time there is a problem when the police can take care of it?

Besides, the violence is not just a city problem and it does not stop at the city line. The most horrendous crimes are happening in suburban areas. At least here in the city, the undesirables are attacking each other. No one is safe today no matter where one lives. It always gets to me after a horrible crime when I hear the same old thing, "can't believe it has happened here in our little community."

Utica officials are addressing the problems. That is why we just had 14 new officers put on the force and more now in the Police Academy getting ready to be appointed. I am confident the undesirables will be forced out of the city. The question the suburban areas have to worry about is, where will the undesirables relocate?