Community, Local Leaders Offer More Calls For Action To End The Gun Violence Sweeping New York City
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The NYPD has released surveillance video of a suspect wanted in a deadly shooting in Brooklyn.
Police say a man got into a dispute with a 23-year-old and then shot him several times, killing him. The incident happened Saturday at around 4 p.m. on Nostrand Avenue in Crown Heights.
The victim was identified as Nicholas Isaac. The suspect was last seen fleeing on a scooter.
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That shooting was just one of the latest incidents, as gun violence continues to surge in the city.
On Sunday, there were more calls for action, from both the community and local leaders, about getting the crime stats down, CBS2's Cory James reported.
"Put the guns down."
It's a strong message from a young man, who is dealing with a tragic loss.
"Three days ago, this was Wednesday night, my friend was shot in Brooklyn, Sheepshead Bay," Larry Malcolm Smith Jr. said.
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He did not want to share the name of his friend who died out of respect for the victim's family, but he spoke about the violence he says is plaguing the city -- violence he feels could be better controlled with more police presence.
"The cops don't even come up to our doorsteps and check up on us to see how we're doing in a community, so there's a disconnection," Smith said.
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But not everyone agrees.
"The police need to do less, actually. They need to let organizations like "Life Camp," and "696" and "Guns Down, Life Up" take over a lot of these social issues, so that we can get some real progression," said Jaffari Williams-Fos of Jamaica, Queens.
In the latest numbers released by the NYPD, from July 6-12, the number of people shot across New York City went up 252%, compared to the same week last year.
When it comes to shooting incidents, the NYPD says that has jumped 276%.
The city has made some recent changes by adding extra officers and incorporating technology -- like tag readers -- to combat the problem. However, Police Commissioner Dermot Shea said he knows it is going take a lot more.
"I think it's going to take the people of this city, I think it's going to take all of you, I think it's going to take us collectively to figure out a way," Shea said. "There's things that we have to clean up in our own shop, too. Small things."
Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams said he believes one of those things could be response time to 911 calls. Adams said he has been told those times have slowed down by officers who disagree with police reforms.
"It's unacceptable because of anger over any type of political legislation that our officers are not responding to their job," Adams said.
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He is asking the department for precinct-based analyses of 911 response times to determine if an unofficial slowdown is in effect.
He is also pushing for plainclothes officers to hit the streets.
"Right now, policing is too predictable when you only look after someone who is in a blue and white vehicle. It needs to be unpredictable by having plainclothes officers," Adams said.
He said plainclothes officers needs to be re-instituted on all precinct levels with proper supervision. He also believes cops who are seasoned should be the ones to take on that specific job across the city.
