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Agree with you both. But don't stop there why don't both of you show up at this Monday'sDowntown & Van Vorst Neighborhood Watch Monthly Mtg-Mon, Feb 13 @ 7PM, and everyone else who has an interest in stopping crime.

Captain McDonough, Commander of the East District, PO Reilly (our community officer who replaced Officer Mack) and sometimes Steve Fulop (call his office to "suggest" he come) show up, your downtown neighbors and even if you don't live downtown your presence will be welcome to discuss issues with those there who share your concerns.

Let's not make our "support", whether for the well-intentioned Guardian Angels, our police or others trying to help be a "weekend-warrior" only event.

And, for those who believe crime info should be posted here at JCList that comes from this watch group, or others, (full disclosure, no secrecy, etc)why don't you come and voice those concerns to the "principles" in charge instead of just complaining here.

See ya Monday!

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I will be there!

I was in Helen's Pizza today and saw a letter left by the Guardian Angels. It was asking people to come and support them on Sunday at the 4:00 pm meeting at the Dixon Deli. If you want them to stay, you have to show them support. Let's go to the meeting and see what is being discussed. I think it's important.

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Here's a NYT article that appeared last August. The key to your question is the last sentence of this article:

"The neighborhood patrols that Mr. Kapell wants should be the alert eyes and ears of an engaged community, not a squad of strutting quasi-cops. "

Only the Mayor can fire Troy, but each of us can be the "...alert eyes and ears of an enganged commuity...", or NOT. Join your neighborhood groups, come to the mtgs., come to council mtgs., vote. Government is about each of us stepping up and it is not about what services "we should get", but about what "services we demand".

With all their good intentions, Curtis Sliwa has said before, and will tell you now that a world of "Guardian Angels" will not make the difference in crime: it takes the engagement of the commumity, schools, teachers, parents and yes the police with the support they need to engage improvement and "effectiveness". Each of us know if we're "down with that" or not.


August 7, 2005

Angels Out East

If you thought the Guardian Angels -- those young men in red berets and studded wristbands, subduing the urban jungle through kung fu -- went out with the 1980's, think again. Feathered hairdos, leg warmers and subway graffiti are gone, mostly, but the Angels never went away. Curtis Sliwa, the group's founder, has kept his organization busy opening chapters in cities and towns all over the country, where all kinds of people -- state representatives, mayors, city council members, even the governor of Hawaii -- have welcomed them with open arms, either forgetting or not caring about the Angels' reputation as vigilante goofballs.

Years of bad press and skepticism have not dimmed the appeal of the Angels' anticrime patrols. How well they work is highly debatable, but there is no denying that they are highly visible, highly assertive and cheap. This has proved irresistible to officials who lack the means or patience to fight petty crimes the old-fashioned way: by hiring more police officers, say, or organizing community patrols themselves, or steering more jobs and opportunity into depressed neighborhoods.

David Kapell, the mayor of Greenport, is one such official. He has a low-level drug problem in Greenport, that pretty village with the carousel and ferry near the end of the North Fork, where tourists mingle with a substantial black and Hispanic population in one of Long Island's closest approximations of racial diversity. The village is a motley collection of summer cottages and gracious old bed-and-breakfasts and nearly all of the government-subsidized rental housing in the Town of Southold. Just beyond its antique-and-potpourri zone are an all-night convenience store, a scruffy park and rundown basketball court -- nighttime magnets, the mayor says, for dealers and delinquents.

To Mr. Kapell, the Guardian Angels provide a ready-made model for getting the neighborhood involved in fixing these and other problems. Disaffected youths, he says, will look up to proud Angels and stare down lowlife criminals -- and then, he hopes, turn them in. The Angels, who are unarmed and have sworn off martial arts (except for ''verbal judo''), swear by the effectiveness of this ''rats and snitches'' approach to deterring crime.

The energetic Mr. Kapell is right about a lot of things -- that

a crime solution, for example, must involve the community and engage young people, and be conducted with the full knowledge and cooperation of local law-enforcement.

He says he has worked hard to get the village behind his plan, through public meetings and a recent walking tour involving Mr. Sliwa and dozens of residents.

He is also well aware that what he calls ''technical fixes,'' like brightly lighted parking lots and security cameras, often promise more than they deliver. And he is skeptical that any innovative crime-prevention initiatives will be coming anytime soon from the Southold Town Police Department, which lacks a significant number of minority officers and has shown little interest in the kind of ground-level community policing that Mr. Kapell is trying to do on the cheap.

But given the Guardian Angels' dubious reputation and the dangers that are always present when regular citizens willfully confront lawbreakers, there is a heavy burden on Mr. Kapell to do this right -- by making sure the Angels work closely with the town and county police, establishing rigorous protocols for recruiting and training patrol members and imposing clear rules that place the highest priority on nonviolence and good sense. The neighborhood patrols that Mr. Kapell wants should be the alert eyes and ears of an engaged community, not a squad of strutting quasi-cops.

Copyright 2006 The New York Times Company

I am overcome with joy. This is great news. The guardian angels were very effective in NYc in the 70's throught the and 90's. They laid the groundwork for the for the Rudi Guiliani era. The only ones more upset than the criminals were the ineffective police precincts which were exposed.

By having the guardian angels presence in JC, the police in jc will once and for all be exposed as incompetent. maybe we can also expose this mayor as well.

Believe me, Guiliani would have dumped this troy guy so quicky his head would spin.

Healy needs to go as well. the guardian angels will take the first step to really attack crime at the street level.

Once people see how effective their presence is they will also realize what a fraud the local officials are as well.

Sliwa for mayor.

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I think you raise legitimate concerns. And does anyone have any information on their actual effectiveness at preventing crime?

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Where have you read that?

Jersey City resident and Hudson County DFA member Thurman Hart weighs in on this blatant conflict of interest at hudsontammany.blogspot.com. Check it out.

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Get robbed, mugged or worse a couple times [hell, just once] and see if your mind gets changed.

Our building was robbed 3 months ago [and we actually faced off against the SOB while he was doing it by total accident] and let me tell you, it's dangerous, scary, infuriating and makes you feel endlessly fearful.

We stress everytime we leave now, at night when we hear sounds we aren't familiar with... all of it. Getting robbed leaves scar tissue that doesn't heal...


ever.

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This is fantastic news!

Finally something of value for JC. Finally something newsworthy as a topic for the JCList as well.

Our door will be open for any and all GA's who need some food, drink, bathroom action.

The police should be ashamed... of course they aren't, they're too busy eating doughnuts and being in the wrong place when 'crimes' are happening elsewhere.

Go Curtis Go!!!!!!!!!!

Further evidence that, Common Folk get shit done... not 'hired' super-lifer politicos, career-bs'ers and the like.

It's time to take back our streets and make them safe from those who aim to harm, take advantage of, steal [and worse] from good, common folk.

I'm kind of alarmed by how quickly people are jumping on the GA bandwagon. From what I've read, they're often badly trained and too often harrass young people who simply fit a certain demographic. In other words, they're bullies who believe they have right on their side. If they and their really ugly hats want to come, I guess there's no stopping them, but we need to watch the watchmen, you know?

The one I saw was in red. And looked grumpy.

"The city has backed off somewhat since this first came up:"

I read the article referenced and it seems to me that the officials are
setting up the typical ?Blame Game? and bureaucratic rhetoric in an attempt
to prepare us for when the unpopular decision is ultimately made in favor of
their pocket books. Those who argue simply the ordered format of the
letters that comprise the words of the law will always miss the intent. It
seems apparent to me that there was clearly an intent to lease the theater
to the Friends of the Loews for fifteen years.

Thanks for posting this Mark.

I believe that Jersey City needs an Arts venue such as the theater.
Although I am not a resident of the city, I am of the county. In the
interest of fair play I have a personal interest in promoting the arts.
That said I believe that a community devoid of the arts is sterile and
non-compassionate. When the merits of any venture are solely judged by
?economics? we loose the connection we have to one another as a community.
I know I will bring this to the attention of as many people I can and
encourage them to communicate with their city government representatives and
express their opinion. Hopefully at some point elected officials will
represent the wishes and interests of their constituents again.

Peace,
Ed

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Dude! Shhhhhhh...... he's undercover.......

Mark.

I think I just had my first sighting also.....in front of Walt's at 8th and Jersey.

Except this guy was wearing blue jacket and blue beret, and I thought it was a signature red that they wore. I don't know....maybe it's just Curtis who wears the red.

Anyway, someone (who knows) please tell us how long this is supposed to last. I'll gladly spread the word among the Guardian Angels I see in the Hamilton Park area that they can ring my doorbell up until midnight for coffee, danish, soup, or whatever. Somebody fill us in.

By the way, I think this is friggin' awesome, and we're very fortunate to have this happen.

Yes, but the crimes are being committed anywhere BUT the construction sites. We need cops walking the beat, not sitting in squad cars drinking coffee or reading the paper.

I understand that the developers are picking up the tab, but these are the same developers who are getting undeserved tax abatements while property owners are getting robbed by tax hikes and muggers on the streets.

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Heh.. we got a form letter signed by his secretary when we voiced our opinion about the embankment.

Mark.

If you pay taxes in Jersey City you should be happy seeing officers at construction sites.

They are out there, ready to fight crime, without it costing the city a dime.

The construction companies pay for the officer and car.

2 words : Chuck Norris

First of all is the money coming out of your pocket to pay these police officers, i think not. Second it's not coming out of your taxes neither the construction companies pay for these officers to be on the site. Third the construction jobs are mostly done during the day so your officers are patrolling the streets at night. Do you get lunch breaks when you work well i believe police officers are entitled to breakfast, lunch and dinner also. Stop bashing the police department and get a life.

I just had my first GA sighting in JC. He was waiting for the PATH train at Grove. Yep, he was wearing the beret.

Will they be wearing those red berets?

JERSEY CITY BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT
PUBLIC NOTICE/LEGAL AD
Please be advised the following items will be heard at the next Regular Meeting of the Jersey City Board of
Adjustment, scheduled for Thursday, February 16 2006, 6:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers, 2nd floor,
City Hall, 280 Grove Street, Jersey City, New Jersey.
1. Call to Order
2. Sunshine Announcement
3. Roll Call
4. Correspondence
5. OLD BUSINESS:
Case: Z02-043
Applicant: 100 Paterson Plank Road, LLC
Attorney: George Garcia
Address: 100 Paterson Plank Road
Block: 751 Lot: G
Zone: R-3 Multi-Family Mid-Rise/Palisade Protection Overlay District
For: Administrative amendment to Final Site Plan with variances originally
approved 2/20/03 (memorialized 3/20/03); 1 year extension of approvals
granted 1/20/05
6. Requests for Adjournment
7. MEMORIALIZATION OF RESOLUTIONS
8. Case: Z05-053
Applicant: John Besante
Attorney: Pro se
Address: 112 Brunswick Street
Block: 384 Lot : U
Zone: R-1 One and Two Family Housing
For: Rehabilitation and partial reconstruction of a 3-story structure containing a
nonconforming ground floor commercial unit and two 1-BR dwelling units on
above floors in order to expand the structure to allow two 2-BR dwelling units.
?c? Variances: Expansion of a non-conforming structure, minimum rear yard, minimum lot
area/depth, max. building coverage, max. lot coverage
9. Case: Z05-031
Applicant: New Jersey City Affordable Housing, LLC
Attorney: Eugene P. O?Connell
Address: 376-382 Bergen Avenue
Block: 1977 Lot: A.3
Zone: R-3 Multi-Family Mid-Rise
For: Preliminary/Final Site Plan with ?c? & ?d? Variances to construct a five-story
apartment building with 43 senior housing units and 16 on-site parking spaces
?c? Variances: Front/side/rear yards, min. building coverage, min. lot coverage
?d? Variance: Density
10. Case: Z05-048
Applicant: 374-376 Seventh St, LLC
Attorney: Eugene Paolino
Address: 374-376 Seventh Street
Block: 417 Lots : 13, 14
Zone: R-1 One and Two Family Housing
For: Preliminary/Final Site Plan with ?c? & ?d? Variances to construct a 3-story
vertical addition with 9 residential units above an existing nonconforming 1-
story warehouse/garage that will contain 9 parking spaces.
?c? Variances: Parking aisle width
?d? Variance: Use; Height
11. Case: Z05-044
Applicant: Brunswick 9 Associates, LLC
Attorney: George Garcia
Address: 364 9 Street & 269 Brunswick Street th
Block: 420 Lots: A, B, C, D, G.1, H.2, J.1, S.1
Zone: R-2 Multi-Family Attached Housing (4 Stories or Less)
For: Preliminary & Final Site Plan with ?c? and ?d? variances to construct a sixstory
multi-family mid-rise apartment building with 143 dwelling units and
147 ground floor parking spaces
?c? Variances: Parking space dimensions, parking aisle width
?d? Variance: Use; Density; Height
12. Case: Z05-051
Applicant: Pamrapo Savings Bank
Attorney: James McCann
Address: 213 Washington Street
Block: 99 Lot: H
Zone: Paulus Hook Historic District
For: Minor Site Plan with ?d? variance to allow a financial institution (bank) to
locate in the ground floor storefront at the subject premises
?d? Variance: Use
13. Executive Session, as needed, to discuss litigation, personnel, or other matters.
DIANE STRASZ, BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT CHAIRPERSON (ACTING)

The minute the G.A. start patroling your city you have admited failure.We have an 85 million dollar police budget,they can do the job but the management need's to change.They need to do a nation wide search for a police chief like most big city's do.Red beret's belong in camden not newark ave.It is time for the police brass to stop spinning statistic's and just get the job done.

Uhh..has anyone ever gotten a response to any email or letter sent to the mayor?

What does the Armory have to do with this? It just got a multi-million dollar upgrade making it a high-quality sports facility again. Where there ever any plans to make it an arts facility?

I've love to see a BAM-type facility in JC, but speaking as a devil's advocate, can the population support it? I think it's a disadvantage to be so close to NYC. Mid-sized theatres like the Community Theatre in Morristown and the Count Basie in Red Bank work because touring acts can stop there between NYC and Philly, and people who live near those towns will stay local instead of dealing with NYC. But if an act is playing in NYC one night then JC the next, will anyone come to the Loew's in numbers that make it economically feasible? At a place like Maxwell's in Hoboken, it doesn't matter, since the room only holds 150 or so. But the Loew's has over 2000 seats now, and will be more when the balcony is reopened.

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The city has backed off somewhat since this first came up:

http://www.nj.com/news/jjournal/jerse ... 39047922224880.xml&coll=3

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I don't see anything written in rabbitrabbit's post that could be considered and insult.