The attack took place deep into this area, near 8 Oval:
Looks charming in the daylight hours, but at night it can be a foreboding forest for a solitary walker, particularly a woman or a senior citizen.
Stuyvesant Town Security did arrive, once they were alerted, but they never "caught their man" and, despite all the cameras around the complex, were not able to see and stop the attack in progress.
All this was foreseen many, many months ago. When Tishman Speyer's massive tree planting campaign started, residents questioned the practicality of having so many trees all around Stuy Town, when the trees would be an obvious natural cover for potential robbers and rapists. In their arrogance, Tishman Speyer didn't listen and even made the potentially dangerous situation even more perilous by reducing Stuy Town's security staff and relying on newly installed cameras, instead of "boots on the ground," to deal with safety issues.
There have been various other incidents inside Stuyvesant Town--muggings and a rape--and in each instance that I know of, Stuy Town Security has not been able to stop the crime nor apprehend the criminal. That's the serious stuff. If we mention the trivial "quality of life" issues, Security has also been a dismal failure. The dog rules are not being enforced and, despite the extra (and pathetic) effort of putting up green barricades, bicyclists still ride their bikes wherever they choose.
I don't blame Security for not being up to the task of stopping crime and enforcing Stuy Town's rules. I blame Tishman Speyer, which has eviscerated Security and relied on technology that has been proven not to work. I've said this over and over: You need an actual security presence on the ground, walking, to even hope to deter crime and enforce the rules. Driving around the loops or the Oval every hour in vehicles is not going to do it; huddling in front of monitors at the Management Office isn't going to work, either. You have to have foot patrols and have those patrols walk throughout the entire complex, the back ways in particular where rules are continually being broken and crime is awaiting to sprout.
My guess is that Security is just as fed up with Tishman Speyer as are residents. My guess is that, furthermore, they feel Tishman Speyer will not stand up for them if they enforce some of the "petty" rules of this place. (I'm sure all of Security is aware of what happened to one of their own when a confrontation took place between a misbehaving dog owner and a security officer who was just trying to enforce the rules; the security officer was fired.)
Tishman Speyer's destruction of Security is just one step in the process of destroying Stuyvesant Town/Peter Cooper Village. And tragic consequences are beginning to arise out of this.
12 comments:
The person who was attacked should sue TS for negligence. It seems like she has a good case and then details of these cutbacks will emerge
They cut down or mutilated all the beautiful shade trees and then densely planted these hoards of stick trees that do nothing but block light and entice muggers and rapists. Way to go, Tishman Speyer. If brains where made of dynamite you guys wouldn't be able to blow your fucking hats off.
I guess we are back to the days when we had to carry mace.
I believe that Tishman Speyer is going to put Stuyvesant Town into bankruptcy very soon and therefore they care nothing about the tenants and our safety and well-being - not that they ever did, but now they have less incentive than ever! I wonder if this lack of security and the haphazard planting of trees that obscure vision, along with the terrible lighting, would constitute a diminution of services and be actionable? I wish the Tenants Association would address this issue. Stuyvesant Town used to be one of the safest places to live in the City of New York. Now it is one of the least safe. All because of the greed and stupidity of an inept landlord. These bozos should never have tried to dabble in residential real estate. They were never up to the challenge.
From the very first day that I saw those trees going up, it crossed my mind that it would be only a matter of time before we start hearing about these types of crimes. One day I even saw a man emerging from behind the forest of trees on 18th and first in broad daylight. No one would have known he was there. I guess he was using it as a urinal, or worse!
I wonder if they would do this in rock center or any of their other buildings. In rock center they have security tripping over each other. When I walk by, I'll see a few security guards congregating and talking. Bring some of those guards down here if they're not doing anything in rock center.
Check out the WSJ today. Oy!
The sooner these bloodsucking predators, Tishman Speyer, are tossed to the curb the better. Rob Speyer should be crowned King of the Losers.
CANINE VIOLATIONS
If you see a dog off of leash, or a failure to curb, you can report it anonymously to the DSNY enforcement unit via the web at:
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dsny/html/contact/requests_canine.shtml
If security refuses to support the rules, we must demand that the city enforce the law ! Everyone who is concerned with this issue needs to file complaints.
I too would like to see our hard-working tenants association address the overplanting of trees and the resulting reduction of safety in the complex. Although I was always careful when coming home late at night, I was never afraid here. Now, even before the attack, the density of the trees has been creeping me out. I am afraid here at night now, and this very much saddens me.
The person who attacked should absolutely sue TS. As the plantings began, TS -- and Speyer himself -- was made aware of the danger posed by the dense foliage. So the management was on notice and can't hide behind the "unforeseeable" excuse.
When my wife and I heard on Sunday that there was an attempted sexual assault in a Stuyvesant Town building we were disgusted by both the crime as well as the apparent lack of proactive surveillance on the part of Public Safety. The impression it gives us is that Stuyvesant Town Public Safety is mainly interested in the appearance of a high-tech coordinated security force that has electronic eyes everywhere but is actually a team of incompetent civilians dressed in uniforms of authority. Adding to the lack of attention to their web of cameras throughout the complex there is a blatant underutilization of the guard booths located at the access points along 14th street on avenues A, B and C. I have never seen any of these guard booths manned with a guard at any time of the day or night! Never! Maybe the answer is to turn over the responsibility of public safety surveillance to the residents since we are the main ones who have a clue as to how to go about doing it.
Post a Comment