Civics and Urban Life

Mugging in JJ Byrne Park

4 Comments

This was on Park Slope Parents but was sent to me by an OTBKB reader.

Our sixth grader was mugged and beat up yesterday at 3:20 pm just
outside MS 51 in JJ Byrne Park. He was surrounded by 8 older boys
while his pockets were searched for valuables. Then he was held and
repeatedly punched in the face.

This morning a sixth-grade girl was assaulted on her way to school,
and apparently there have been several other attacks in recent weeks.

If you have children at MS 51 please contact the administration and
demand more security around the s. You can also
contact the 78th Precinct youth officer, P.O. Ciuffo at 718-636-6451.

4 thoughts on “Mugging in JJ Byrne Park”

  1. Pardon me, but what is “grossly exaggerated” or “misleading” about the headline? Our child was beaten up after a gang of older boys went through his pockets looking for valuables. Does that not qualify as a mugging? Some of the other incidents we’ve learned about were far less extreme, but they are all part of a similar pattern of harassment and predation directed at middle schoolers. We’ve made an effort to inform the community about what happened our son because we think parents should be taking precautions with their children.
    ( the original headline read MS51 , not JJ Byrne Park , and that was what was “misleading” about the headline – ed)

  2. This headliine is grossly exaggerated and is misleading.
    I know that many of you have heard there was an incident in JJ Byrne Park after school yesterday. A 6th grade boy was in the Park around 3:30pm when he was approached by older, possibly high school age students, who asked for money and punched him in the face. The boy and his friends came back to school to get help. We called the police, an ambulance, and the boy’s mom, who all responded quickly.
    To insure the safety of all our students, I have urged the 78th Precinct to consistently populate the park with a greater police presence during after school hours. There have not been “several other attacks in recent weeks,” as is the rumor, but we believe police presence would prevent further incidents. We have had only 2 other reports of students ‘getting harassed’ by older kids, outside school, during after school hours this entire school year. However, I would urge your children to be cautious and aware of their surroundings as they travel to and from school. We are in the process of coordinating a Safety Assembly, with the 78th Precinct, to address these issues of ‘street safety’ with all our students.
    We take these incidents very seriously and are working with the police to keep our kids safe. Please speak to your child about traveling safely, securing valuable items and being aware of their surroundings. Remind your child that they should always come back to the school if they or their friends need help.

  3. With eight muggers and a park full of witnesses, the identity of the perpetrators can’t be a secret, at least not for long. I’d think that a couple hundred bucks could get young thugs talking. Obviously, again, nothing official will be done to achieve justice. At some point, the community gets angry enough to push back, right? Well, when? As a parent of an MS 51 sixth-grader, I’m ready.

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