October 7, 2008
iPhone Mugging in Harlem Leads to Candid Cop Remarks
NYC the Blog details a mugging on 145h Street in Harlem. When a man was leaving the subway station, one person grabbed his iPhone, a second assailant tried to steal his wallet, and a third punched him and punched him again when he was lying on the ground. Luckily, a passer-by yelled, called the police (the perps fled) and helped the victim. The passer-by also asked, "I thought this area was getting better?" but the cop responded, "No. And unfortunately, this tends to happen a lot, and often they will pick on people who look like they don't live in the neighborhood." The cop also mentioned a man, who had been mugged three times, called the precinct to ask for the police to escort him since he's so scared: "The officer responded slightly sheepishly, 'we don't do that,' suggesting instead that 'he move out of the neighborhood.'"
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The cop is right. Don't let Barb Corcoran or anyone else tell you differently either. I've been living in Harlem for over a year now (New York for 6 years) and the area is not safe in many places. Teenagers here are insanely violent. I saw a guy get beat up and his i-phone taken at the 116th stop a few weeks ago. Gunshots on my block a month ago. The recent teen shootings. While I won't go as far as to say that parents don't have control in this area...I will say that a great deal of young people here need some serious discipline. Take it from someone who saw a guy pull a gun on his screaming girlfriend right out front of his apartment (broad daylight at the bus stop) this area isn't worth it. Take an apartment half the size in a safe neighborhood.
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It all starts with parenting.
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The police are not personal bodyguards. If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.
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Is this the start of degentrification ?
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parenting? What's that? Aint nothing like that above 110 st.
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Also, as a follow up. This area has changed my life drastically. I used to take evening walks every night and really enjoyed the calm of the Upper West Side. Now I am scared to leave my apartment alone at night due to the hoodlums who walk the streets in my neighborhood. It's sad that a move of less than half a mile can change your entire way of life and how you feel about a city.
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Can't the off-duty cops do what they are supposed to do? You know, pick up a few punks off the street and take 'em to the Flatlands where the sandy soil is easy to dig.
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Let's us not generalize, there are some decent people above 110 st.
Of course there is an equal ratio of trash who make a lot of noise, thereby 'drowning' the decent people in the area.
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was this guy mugged for his Iphone? I thought IPOD muggings were an urban myth.
or was he mugged because he was distracted by the iphone? (he was checking his VM)
glad he's OK. being forewarned is being forearmed.
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That's my subway stop and I always make sure to take my IPod and put it away as I get off of the train so that no one knows that I have one. And if I feel that someone is too close to me, I will duck into a store and just 'let them pass' or remember that I left something and turn around-the best was when some guy scolded me for being self-hating (I'm black) because I was clearly trying to avoid him as he was walking suspiciously close to me for a little while. But you should always trust your instincts and not care about the other person's feelings.
With the economy tanking and services about to get cut, I am starting to get really worried about what is going to happen here-I have never had a problem with crime and I like this neighborhood, but if things get bad, I don't know what I will do.
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Problem is when people hear NY is "safe" common sense flies out the window. It doesn't mean the area is free of crime.
Just like in the past, the rule was never to flash jewelry or money...Now you have to add electronics to the mix. That's how it is in NYC, it will never change.
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Gee, I wonder who doesn't look like they live in the neighborhood?
That cop did that caller a favor. Move.
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seconding #11. rule of thumb is to keep the iphone/ipod out of sight, always. i have a feeling this guy was busy switching tracks on his iphone when he got mugged.
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I still never understand those people that walk around carrying their ipod/phone in their hands while listening to them.
Be smart dont be a retard
this is still New York City when 8 million people live in one place crime will still occur
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Filthy animals preying on the weak. More than likely the police assist in reselling the stolen items. As we fall deeper into this financial abyss this will only get worse. In the 1970s I routinely saw muggings on Madison and Park Avenues. I wouldn't wish this fate on anyone
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NY is safe but when these people who live paycheck to paycheck lose their jobs because of a tough economy and their latchkey kids don't get their $300 nike air jordans for christmas they will try to get them in other ways. I'd suggest everyone who moved to a gentrification-in-process neighborhood like harlem or bed-stuy to cash out now and move. It's only going to get worse with the economy and you don't want to wake up and realize that you are living smackdown in ground zero next to the projects and these people are going to re-enact the last scene of "day of the locust" with you as the main character.
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145 is my subway stop too. Last night I pulled out my Blackberry (for work) right outside the station, but got lucky this time. I'll be sure not to do it again...
I've had an iPod stolen off me when I was in the subway (it was yanked out of my pocket when I went through the turnstile), but it was at Rockefeller Center.
These things can happen anywhere, not just in Harlem. Everyone just needs to start using more common sense (including me, obviously).
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yep, I'm surprised pickpocketing isn't more rampant considering how crushed the 4/5 lines are at rush hour. I did see an attempted theft on a bus, it was the ole dry cleaning as cover trick.
and carry a pipe.
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free market at work
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I think you should carry two Iphones one to give away when your being robbed and the other to call the police.
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that's called a NY carry.
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They already make stun guns that look like cell phones. I'm eagerly awaiting the day when they make one that looks like an iPhone.
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"I thought IPOD muggings were an urban myth."
You're kidding, right? An easily-sold item worth a couple of hundred dollars... carrying it around in sight is no different than walking around with a couple of hundred dollar bills in your hand. Of course, no one do that...
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I say we take off and nuke the entire site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure.
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i'm totally disgusted by most of the posts on this page. i'm sorry that most of uptown's low-income vagrants (according to the 8th post only half the ppl above 110th are "decent" while the others are "trash." wow, that's pretty harsh.)haven't been displaced as quickly as planned....i'm w/ the 3rd poster, if you can't handle the area, MOVE! you probably shouldn't have moved there to begin w/. there is a reason the rent is cheaper...it's actually the tone of the posts that disturbs me, referring to them as "these people." by no means do i want to be associated w/ thieves or other criminals but it sounds like ppl move into these neighborhoods and try to take over. do you do anything to try to improve the neighborhoods? you can't think that b/c now that there's a couple white ppl living on the block, everything will change. you have to understand that there's a history of your neighborhood and that "these people" are not going to simply disappear. we all must do our part to contribute to change/progress...btw, there are many areas uptown where i wouldn't live. however, i never demonize its residents. i hope those of you who do are much more critical of the institutions that created/contributed to the social ails prevalent uptown.