Gun Buy Back is Now 24/7

BRONX, NEW YORK, June 15- The NYPD Community Affairs Bureau would like to ensure all citizens are aware of a critical program to take guns off the streets and to make our community a safer place.

The Cash for Guns Program is a program in which the New York City Police Department will pay $100 to any individual (excluding active law enforcement personnel and gun dealers) who present any handgun that is in apparent operative condition to any police precinct, transit district or housing police service area (PSA). To date over 6,000 deadly firearms have been surrendered since the program’s inception.

Qualifying weapons include: revolvers, semiautomatic and automatic pistols, sawed-off shotguns, or assault weapons. Weapons that do not qualify will be taken under the Cash for Guns Program, but will not qualify for the cash payment. An individual may surrender more than three weapons, but cash reimbursement will only be made for a maximum of a total of three weapons. 

Any individual turning in a qualifying weapon may do so at any police precinct, transit district or housing PSA, 24-hours a day, seven days a week. No questions asked and no identification will be required, as the identity of all individuals will remain anonymous.  While you may surrender the weapon at any of the above locations, cash payments will be made only from the following Patrol Borough Cash for Guns Central

Locations upon surrendering weapons:

Manhattan South: 7^th Precinct, 19½ Pitt Street, New York, NY 10013

Manhattan North: 26^th Precinct, 520 West 126^th Street, New York, NY 10027   

                    

Bronx: 48^th Precinct, 450 Cross Island Expressway, Bronx, NY 10457                                                     

Brooklyn South: 61^st Precinct, 2575 Coney Island Avenue, Brooklyn, NY  11223                     

Brooklyn North: 90^th Precinct, 211 Union Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11211

Queens South: 107^th Precinct, 71-01 Parsons Blvd., Flushing, NY 11365                                                      

Queens North: 112^th Precinct, 68-40 Austin Street, Forest Hills, NY 11375                                                

Staten Island: 78 Richmond Terrace, Staten Island, NY 10301

For more information on this, or any of the other programs we offer, as part of our ongoing mission of “Police and Community Working Together” please call our office at 646-610-5323, or visit us online at www.nypdcommunityaffairs.org

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Crime in the Bronx

Blotter Notes

By David Greene

PAIR WOUNDED IN WAKEFILED... 

Police responding to calls of shots fired, discovered a man and woman both shot in the leg. 

The incident was reported at 2:40 a.m., on June 12.The victims were transported to an area hospital and were expected to recover. No description of the gunman was available.

TASER THIEF IN FOXHURST

Police were called to 1033 Faile Street at just after 2 a.m., on Tuesday, June 12, for a call of an armed robbery. 

The victim reported that he was robbed by a man with a taser. The suspect was described as a male Black with dreadlocks, who fled the scene on foot.

FATAL TRAIN STRIKE ON CONCOURSE

Police were called to the D-Train at E. 167 Street and the Grand Concourse, for reports of a person struck by a train. 

The incident was reported at 9:30 p.m. on June 11. Rescue crews frantically tried to reach the individual, who was declared dead at the scene less than 15-minutes later. No additional information was available at this time.

BROOK AVENUE SHOOTING... 

Police from the 40th Precinct were called to Brook Avenue and E. 139 Street, for reports of a man shot. 

The incident was reported at 4:20 p.m., on June 11. The unidentified victim was shot in the leg and removed to Lincoln Hospital in stable condition. Police were reportedly searching a building, located at 570 E. 139 Street, for the suspects described as two male Hispanics, one 6-feet tall and wearing a green Addidas shirt.

SCHOOL BUS DRIVER ASSAULTED

Police were called to the scene of an assault of a school bus driver. 

The incident was reported at 12:05 p.m., at the corner of E. Tremont Avenue and Anthony Avenue. The bus driver was removed to a local hospital in serious, but stable condition. Officer's from the 46th Precinct were looking for the suspect, described as a Black male.

HOME AVENUE JUMPER

Rescue crews were called to 355 Home Avenue, for reports of a person had jumped from a building. 

Upon their arrival, officers discovered the victim on the ground after jumping from an unknown height. The victims condition and circumstances are still not known at this time.

DOUBLE SHOOTING ON UNION AVE. 

Officers from the 40th Precinct were called to the scene of shots fired and discovered two gunshot victims. 

The incident unfolded at 1:30 p.m., on June 10. The two victims were rushed to a local hospital, their conditions are not yet known.

BRONX RIVER CRASH

Rescue crews removed one victim after a vehicle overturned. 

The crash was reported at 12:30 a.m., on June 10, on the southbound Bronx River Parkway at the E. 177 Street exit. One victim was extricated and rushed to a nearby hospital. The person's condition is not yet known.

MAN SHOT IN SOUNDVIEW

Police from the 43rd Precinct were called to the scene of a male shot. 

The incident took place in the stairwell of the James Monroe Houses, located at 1755 Story Avenue, at 12:15 p.m., on June 9. The 20-year old victim was expected to recover. 

Police were looking for a suspect, described as a male Black, wearing a NASCAR cap and black pants who fled the scene.

FISH AVENUE SLASHING

Police from the 47th Precinct were called to the scene of a female slashed in the face with a razor. 

Police arrived at 3467 Fish Avenue, at 12:20 p.m., on June 9, and discovered the victim. One suspect was quickly apprehended.

149 STREET BANK ROBBER

Police were looking for the individual who robbed a bank in the south Bronx. Police were called to 360 E. 149 Street after an individual passed a note to the teller and fled with an undetermined amount of U.S. currency. The suspect was described as a male Black, 5' 5'' tall, with a slim build.

OFFICER SHOT AT FIRING RANGE

EMS was requested to Rodman's Neck, for a police officer reported shot at the NYPD shooting range. 

The female corrections officer was reportedly accidentally shot in the leg and rushed to Jacobi Hospital in stable condition after the incident, which took place at just after 7 p.m., on June 7.

BAYCHESTER BANK ROBBERY

Police were called to a Baychester bank after a call of a robbery. The incident was reported at the CitiBank, located at 3955 Baychester Avenue, at Strang Avenue, at 9:30 a.m., on June 7. Police were looking for a male Black, dressed in black, who fled the scene.

E.241 STREET STABBING

Police and EMS were called to 691 E. 241 Street for a report of a person stabbed. 

Upon their arrival officers discovered the victim in critical condition. The suspect was described as a male Black, wearing a green and white hoodie and a yellow baseball cap with the words, "Old Navy," on it. No other details were immediately available.

If you have witnessed or have information on a violent crime, you may give your information anonymously by calling 1 (800) 577-TIPS or TEXT: Crimes. ENTER: TIPS577.   

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Cop Charged in Graham Shooting

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BRONX, NEW YORK, June 13- District Attorney Robert T. Johnson announced the indictment and arrest of a New York City Police Officer for the shooting death last Winter of Ramarley Graham, an 18-year-old unarmed civilian.

The grand jury charged Police Officer Richard Haste, 31, with one count of manslaughter in the first degree, a Class B felony offense, and one count of manslaughter in the second degree, a Class C felony offense. Conviction of the most serious Class B felony charge is punishable by a maximum sentence of up to 25 years imprisonment. If Haste is found guilty of the less serious Class C felony offense, the maximum sentence allowed by law would be no more than 15 years imprisonment.

Haste, a Bronx resident assigned to the 47^th Precinct, was arraigned before Acting State Supreme Court Justice Martin Marcus. The judge set bail at $50,000 cash or bond and adjourned the case to Thursday, September 13, 2012 in State Supreme Court Part 60.

Ramarley Graham was shot to death in a bathroom in his home on East 229^th Street on February 2, 2012.

The indictment alleges that Haste “caused the death… while acting with intent to cause serious physical injury (to Ramarley Graham) by shooting him.” The grand jury also alleges that the defendant had acted “recklessly” in causing Graham’s death.

The charges in the indictment are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

District Attorney Johnson thanked the NYPD Internal Affairs Bureau, the 47^th Precinct Detective Squad, Bronx District Attorney Detective Investigators, Assistant District Attorney Peter Kennedy and Senior Trial Assistant District Attorneys Donald Levin and Nancy Borko for their work on the exhaustive four-month-long investigation that resulted in this indictment.

The case is being prosecuted by Senior Trial Assistant District Attorney Donald Levin and Assistant District Attorney Peter Kennedy of the Investigations Division.

BP Blasts Paper for Comparing Bronx to Baghdad

BP Blasts Paper for Comparing Bronx to Baghdad

Calls Bx Albanians Mobsters

Letter to the Editor:

(In an open letter to the Litchfield County Times, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. blasted the paper for what he calls “libelous” attacks on the Bronx and its residents)

To The Editor:

I am writing in response to the libelous and entirely unforgivable opinion piece published in your newspaper last week, “Monet on the Hudson, a Bronx Tale From Deyan Ranko Brashich.” While this piece was written ostensibly to promote an exhibit at the New York Botanical Garden, the author instead spends his time badmouthing the Bronx in outdated ways.

The errors in Mr. Brashich’s piece are numerous, and a simple phone call to my office or any number of other Bronx institutions would have made that clear. Mr. Brashich writes that the Bronx lacks vegetation and that the Bronx River is polluted; ignoring the fact that 25 percent of our borough is parkland, and that the Bronx River is so clean today that beavers have returned to make their homes there.

The author complains that our borough is covered in graffiti, calls the Bronx a “ghetto” and compares our borough to Baghdad. These are disgusting, false descriptions, and serve no purpose other than to denigrate the amazing community myself and 1.4 million others call home.

The list goes on. In perhaps the most disgusting portion of this piece, Mr. Brashich manages to slander the hardworking Albanian community of the Bronx, referring to them as “America’s newest version of the Mafia.” To refer to the proud Albanian community in such a derogatory manner is absolutely disgusting, and it is a characterization that the entire Bronx resents.

To be fair, your newspaper is allowed to publish whatever it likes, no matter how shameful, repulsive or lacking in truth it may be. With that said, one would hope that the articles that run under your banner would meet basic standards of decency, rather than rely on the stereotypes of the 1970s to make a point about a Monet exhibit.

Had Mr. Brashich actually bothered to pay attention to the Bronx during his visit, he would have seen a beautiful place that has made great strides in the areas of housing, economic development, education and public safety, just to name a few. On behalf of the people of the Bronx I demand a retraction of this garbage, and I would hope that your newspaper would not resort to publishing such nonsense in the future.

I would also invite you and your readers to visit ilovethebronx.com, the official website of the Bronx Tourism Council, to learn more about all of the wonderful things that are happening in the Bronx.

Sincerely, Ruben Diaz Jr.

Subway Series Turns into Batting Practice for Yanks

Bombers Derail Met Fans Dreams of No Hitter

(Photos by Gary Quintal)

By Howard Goldin

BRONX, NEW YORK, June 9- Yankee Stadium was sold out for the opening game of the 2012 Subway Series. Many of the 48,566 in the stands came with the expectation of seeing Mets starter Johan Santana tie the 74-year-old mark of Johnny Vandermeer by pitching his second consecutive no-hitter. This did not happen, but the fans did get to see Yanks starter Hiroki Kuroda limit the Mets to one-hit in his seven innings on the mound.

Santana retired the first three batters he faced, but ran into trouble in the second. After walking Alex Rodriguez, who led off, Robinson Cano followed by hitting a two-run homer into the rightfield seats to put the Yankees on the scoreboard.

Santana retired the first two batters in the next inning, before the onslaught began. A-Rod singled to begin the rally. Cano again followed with a two-run homer. 

After the game, Cano spoke about hitting against Santana, “He’s a guy who throws a lot of strikes. That’s the kind to be aggressive against. You have to be lucky to be successful against a pitcher like that, one of the best in the game.” Cano has been more than lucky against Santana as he has hit successfully 10 times in 26 at bats.

The home run barrage did not end with Cano. The next two batters, Nick Swisher and Andruw Jones, hit homers to left. The three back-to-back- home runs were last accomplished by Yankees batters on August 28, 2011 in Baltimore. Interestingly, the feat was done by the same three batters in the same order.

Yankee manager Joe Girardi said of his team’s output, “He [Santana] got the ball up a little bit and our guys took advantage of it. They put some pretty good at bats on him.”

Santana had never given up four home runs in a single game. Mets manager Terry Collins again proved to be a stand-up leader by his remarks taking responsibility for Santana’s performance, “Because of that decision [giving Santana two extra days of rest since his last start], I’m responsible for how he pitched tonight. That’s what caused him to be rusty tonight. He doesn’t make those kinds of mistakes [keeping the ball up]. He just wasn’t sharp. We erred on the side of caution. It cost us the game tonight.”

The fans were close to seeing a no-hitter by Kuroda. The 37 -year-old veteran hurler from Japan did not yield a hit until two were out in the sixth when shortstop Omar Quintanilla doubled to right center. Girardi opined, “He had great command of his slider and curveball, His fastball was effective.

Kurida left the game after seven innings, having retired 20 of 23 batters, Jeter made an error in the fourth and Lucas Duda walked in the seventh. Of Kuroda’s stint on the mound, Collins remarked, “That’s the best I’ve ever seen him pitch.”

The Subway Series continues on Saturday night at 7:15 pm, weather permitting, with Phil Hughes (5-5) facing Dillon Gee (4-3).

Supersized Soda Smack?

Candidate Says Soda is Like Heroin

By Michael Horowitz

BRONX, NEW YORK, June 8- City Council candidate Andy King said, this week, that sugared sodas and beverages have become like heroin in black and Latino communities.

For this reason, King, a long-time organizer of hospital and health-care workers, said he strongly supports restrictions on the sale of soda in restaurants, delis, and movie theaters throughout the city.

“Sugared soda is making people in our communities very sick,” King stressed, in a telephone interview. “Those who say Mayor Bloomberg is a nanny for supporting restrictions on the sale of soda should come with me when I talk to teenagers and young adults who are suffering from diabetes and other ailments that are caused by the soda we drink and the junk food we eat because it is readily available in our delis.”

King added, “No one needs to drink a 32-ounce sugared beverage. If people don't know how bad it is for them, they need to be educated. In the meantime, we need to take strong and aggressive steps to prevent the onset of early diabetes and high blood pressure in our communities.”

The Council candidate noted, “We need to insist that stores in our neighborhoods carry more fresh fruits and vegetables, and we need to insist that our delis carry them. With our eating and drinking habits the way they are now, many people, including many of those living in communities of color, are killing themselves.”

Under the circumstances, King insisted, it is just as reasonable to ban sales of large soda beverages as it is to ban the sale of heroin in many communities.

King emphasized, “We shouldn't be eating so much stuff that is eating away at our esophagus's. Under the circumstances, people in our city need help from city officials in terms of making healthy choices in what they eat and drink. Those who say Mayor Bloomberg is a nanny for suggesting that we need restrictions on the sale of soda really don't fully comprehend what's happening in our communities.”

Yanks Don't Get the Job Done

A-Rod Drops the Ball, CC Comes up Short as Yanks Fail to Sweep Rays

By Howard Goldin

BRONX, NEW YORK, June 8- The Yanks failed to sweep a three-game series with Tampa and go into first place in the American League East as they lost to the Rays, 7-3 on Thursday night at Yankee Stadium in a lengthy and rain delayed contest.

Baseball purists happily anticipated the seventh meeting of mound aces, CC Sabathia and David Price. Although neither pitched at his best, each did not pitch badly.

Price tied James Shields on the Tampa starting staff by earning his eighth win of the 2012 season. His lack of control in the second, two walks and a wild pitch led to the only run he surrendered. He limited the Yankees to three isolated singles in the five innings he pitched.

The key opportunity the Yankees had to score several runs came in the final inning Price hurled. Chris Stewart singled to lead-off the inning. Derek Jeter and Mark Teixeira each walked. With one out, Alex Rodriguez came to the plate. Many in the stands were hoping A-Rod would tie the game at 5 by blasting his 23^rd grand slam homer. The blow, if hit, would have tied the major league mark of Lou Gehrig. The 11 pitch at bat ended with A-Rod striking out. Robinson Cano ended the contest by grounding out to second.

After throwing 109 pitches, Price was removed from the game at the conclusion of the fifth inning. Yankees skipper Joe Girardi credited Price with a game well pitched, “He threw well. I thought Price pitched pretty good. (sic) We had some opportunities, but we couldn’t get much off him. That’s the bottom line.”

The workhorse of the Yankees rotation, CC Sabathia, hurled 121 pitches in seven innings. All the seven hits and five runs he surrendered came in three frames, the second, third and fourth. Teo of the runs in the third were unearned, coming off a throwing error by third baseman Alex Rodriguez.

Sabathia, the ultimate team player, said of the error, “It’s just part of the game.” He took responsibility for the runs by blaming “just not hitting the location.”

The Yankee ace improved as the game continued. He said, “The last three innings, I felt pretty good.” His feelings were reflected in his work as he retired 11 of the final 12 batters he faced, six by strikeout.

Sabathia fanned 12 batters. The game was only his third career loss in a game in which he struck out 10 or more batters.

The first installment of the annual Subway Series will begin on Friday night. The Mets will be traveling across town to visit Yankee Stadium. Johan Santana (3-2) will attempt to tie the mark of Johnny Vandemeer by pitching his second consecutive no-hitter. Hiroki Kuroda (4-6) will take the mound for the Yankees.