Buffalo Crime Reports

[Dr Funky]

http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial...31/1063398.asp

Citizens mobilize against crime

Block clubs are growing fast as criminals creep into neighborhoods not usually affected by violence

The murder of a University Heights deli operator Tuesday afternoon is just one of a long list of horrific crimes that have afflicted the city this year. Residents are angry, and they're doing something about it.
Police blame an influx of drugs, gangs and guns. But the victims aren't all drug dealers and gang bangers.

The murders aren't all happening in so-called "bad neighborhoods."

"These people are off the hook," said University Council Member Bonnie E. Russell, who visited the M&F University Grocery and Deli where Ziad Nasser was gunned down. She arrived minutes before his grieving relatives would begin mopping up his blood from the floor.

"They are killing people in the day hours," Russell said. "They don't care what part of town they go to. They don't know Buffalo's "areas.' It's just turf to them."

Russell - whose district has suffered three fatal shootings since Friday - called on her constituents to write letters and make calls to the city control board, demanding that its members "release their purse strings" so the city can put more police officers on the streets.

Residents are taking matters into their own hands, too.

They're forming block clubs by the dozens, taking the time to call the police and alert neighbors about suspicious activity, and they're installing security systems to protect their homes.

"Ten years ago, I never would have done this," said Michael Riester, president of the Parkside Community Association, who installed motion detector lights around his property shortly after the April 14 murder of George Pitliangas, owner of Tony's Ranch House, a popular Main Street restaurant.

"It's like I've turned a corner," Riester said.

Statistics show that violence is on the rise this year throughout the city.

Buffalo has had 52 murders so far this year - 10 more than the 42 murders the city had at this time last year. If the city's murders continue at the current pace, Buffalo could break its modern record set in 1994 when the city recorded 92 homicides.

At least two of this year's homicide victims were innocent bystanders: A man returning from a store to buy snacks for his pregnant girlfriend was struck by a bullet fired at a group on Pennsylvania Avenue, and a grandmother stepping out on her porch was hit by a teenager firing at a couple arguing on Seventh Street.





By the numbers

A Police Department crime analysis provided to The Buffalo News on Wednesday showed that overall violent crime between January and July increased 10 percent compared with the same period last year.

Homicides were up 14 percent in those first seven months. Robbery was up 17 percent. Assaults increased 7 percent. Only rape marked a downward trend - dropping by 13 percent.

Police Commissioner H. McCarthy Gipson acknowledged Wednesday that crime is creeping into North Buffalo and other neighborhoods traditionally considered "safe."

"Some of the problems that have existed in a community that people refer to as the "East Side' are spreading into other communities," Gipson said.

He pointed out that overall crime is actually down 7 percent for the first seven months of 2006, compared with last year. Gipson also said that more than half - 58 percent - of this year's homicides already have been solved and that detectives believe they are closing in on Nasser's killers.

While police brass blame drugs and gangs for most of the increase in violence, some say it's now affecting middle-class and more affluent neighborhoods because of the city's weakening economy - which is making criminals more desperate.

"These are more affluent neighborhoods," said Lt. Kenneth Bienko, who heads the Homicide Unit. "So it makes sense to go to these neighborhoods if you're going to rob, because there's more of a chance of getting money."

Pitliangas was shot during a robbery just as he was closing up shop around 5 p.m. at Tony's Ranch House.

On Aug. 9, Paul J. McCabe, a father of two, was stabbed to death by a teenager on Bedford Avenue, near Lincoln Parkway, as he and his wife were out on a walk by their home. Police say the teenager wanted to steal McCabe's cell phone. His wife also was stabbed but survived.

And then Tuesday at 2 p.m., Ziad Nasser, 36, was on the phone and alone at his deli on Englewood Avenue, a mostly residential street lined with 21/2-story houses popular with college students.

Police say two teenagers walked into the store. Nasser's friend on the other line put him on hold, according to Nasser's cousin, Jabar Abdallah, 33.

"He came back on the phone and [Nasser] was screaming: "Allah! Allah! Oh, God!' " Abdallah said.

Nasser had come to the United States about eight years ago, first living in Lackawanna and later moving to Buffalo. He worked at several family delis in the area, but M&F, which he took over about five months ago, was the first store he ran on his own.

Friends and family had talked to him about putting in some sort of security system, but he told them he didn't think he faced any danger and often worked alone. He talked often about being able to bring his wife and four children to Buffalo soon from Yemen.





Residents in shock

Nasser's younger brother, Habib, tried to make sense of how his brother, who was so liked in this community, could be killed in cold blood.

"Do you see the candles outside!" he yelled, pointing to the memorial that spelled out "R.I.P." with tea lights. "That's how much people liked him."

Jenny Casperson, 22, a University at Buffalo student who lives next door to the deli, said she was stunned by the killing. "I can't believe that they came in and did that in the daylight," she said.

The rising violence has not gone unnoticed by residents who are beginning to take action.

"Everybody is concerned about the violence across the city," said Linda Freidenberg, president of the Board of Block Clubs of Buffalo & Erie County. Over the last two months, Freidenberg said, about 60 block clubs have started up in the region. The new block associations in Buffalo are cropping up in every part of the city, she said, bringing the area's total to about 500.

Freidenberg often attends the first couple of meetings of new clubs, and she said the first issue on the agenda is invariably crime.

Shortly after the Pitliangas murder, the Parkside association formed a subgroup of "stakeholders," as Riester put it - Main Street business owners, representatives from the nearby colleges and homeowners - who now meet regularly to talk about safety issues.

"People are keeping an eye out for people who are lingering or loitering," Riester said. Police officials say they have a number of initiatives to combat the rising violence.

But it hasn't been an easy problem to tackle. "Robberies and homicides are difficult to prevent, but we're being active on those investigations," Gipson said.

Gipson asked for Buffalo's patience as the Police Department continues to implement its "zero tolerance" blitz on so-called "quality of life" issues, an initiative started earlier this year in an effort to curb drug-related crime.

Gipson also echoed Russell's concerns that the control board is holding up the possibility of adding new police officers. "So what we're doing is redeploying officers," Gipson said. "We're trying to do more with less."



Council Member Bonnie E. Russell says the city needs more police. Her University District has had three fatal shootings since Friday, the most recent on Tuesday at the deli behind her at the corner of Englewood Avenue and Eley Place.



A nephew holds a photo of Ziad Nasser, who was gunned down at his M&F University Grocery and Deli on Tuesday. Friends and family say Nasser believed he was safe at the deli.

[biker]

Maybe the killers were inspired by Andrew Young's comments about how the Arabs were ripping off black folks in their stores.

Just like the Koreans and Jews before them.

Good ol' Andy Young, Ambassador of good will and tolerance.

[ghosthunter]

Bucky monopolized the news last night, but the Buffalo cops were busy - the scanner was buzzing with stuff - the big crime wave didn't come to a miraculous halt, it's just the news stations had bigger fish to fry.

[biker]

The crime wave will slow markedly when school starts.

And almost stop when night time temps hit the 30s.

Same thing every year.

[PBAguy]

yea, a Bflo Cop got shot at last night. As well there was a shooting on the West Side and a stabbing too. As well at least 2 other persons were shot at on the East Side. But since it is a seasonal thing, just let it happen and hope for winter, that is Bikers idea of law enforcement. Another pathetic attempt to downplay the role of Cops. Glad you're just a keyboard junkie and not a policy maker.

[biker]

An observation of patterns, pinhead.

Which you didn't dispute.

Hmmmm are you ticked because, when the police claim they're pushing down the crime wave someone might ascribe it to the change in weather?

I hadn't thought of that angle.

Thanks.

[Townsfolk]

Another pathetic attempt to downplay the role of Cops.

What's pathetic is the cops writing all those parking tickets and picketing the control board members.

[Deerhunter]

Pbaguy didn't say that. Another warped view of snivelling Biker. Don't park illegally and you won't get a ticket. As far as the picketing, if it pisses the CB members off, than I am for it. They are causing hardship in my life by not honoring our contract. Too bad if they get something back. A minor annoyance for them I'm sure.

[biker]

what Cop said that Cops were curbing the violence ?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pbaguy didn't say that. Another warped view of snivelling Biker.

Another pinhead.

I was merely making an observation that crime rises when school is out and it's hot. And it falls when the opposite occurs.

But by the violence of your reaction and your statement that the coppers are completely ineffective at preventing crime (something I wasn't even thinking about), I'll accept your statement as true.

So you hyper-sensitive coppers are afraid that people are going to figger out that crime rates go up or down completely independent of the numbers of youse guys on da beat?

I hadn't thought along those lines either. Thanks for the insight.

I guess if I were part of an irrelevant group of frat boys with guns, I'd be mad if people started finding out about it, too.

[Deerhunter]

crime rates rise during the summer months. Earth shattering news from the know it all keyboard gangster. Wow, you and Sandy Beach should get together, you'll solve all of our problems. You don't realize how stupid you make yourself look. Irrelevant frat boys with guns = Bikers idea of Police Officers. Biker , listen, just keep paying your taxes. Thanks by the way. I just bought a house in the burbs !!!

[biker]

Whaddya workin' eight jobs now?

[Deerhunter]

My side business is doing good, and this wage freeze isn't going to last forever. So I did it. No longer a Bflonian.

[biker]

My side business is doing good, and this wage freeze isn't going to last forever. So I did it. No longer a Bflonian.

You have improved the gene pool of both communities.

[Deerhunter]

I could try , but you are by far the most intelligent of any in the WNY area, just ask yourself.

[Dr Funky]

http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial...02/2039992.asp

Buffalo man accused of shooting at officers

A Buffalo man who fired a shot at two city police officers while fleeing from them late Thursday is under arrest and facing attempted murder and other charges, police officials reported.
Officers Corey Krug and David Acosta were responding to a report of shots fired at the Central Park Plaza at 9:30 p.m. When they arrived, a suspect fled and ran toward East Amherst Street, according to Chief of Detectives Dennis J. Richards.

On East Amherst, the suspect turned and fired one shot at the pursuing officers, Richards said, but the bullet missed them.

Krug and Acosta, who did not return fire, finally captured the suspect at All High Stadium, on Mercer Avenue near Main Street.

Basil S. Payne, 23, of East Amherst Street, is charged with first-degree attempted murder, reckless endangerment and criminal possession of a weapon.

Police recovered a .40-caliber handgun from Payne, who also had an outstanding bench warrant for assault, menacing and harassment charges.

On Jan. 28, Payne was shot four times by Carlos Ross, who police believe was trying to avenge the shooting death of Ross' brother, Adtwan Ervin, the day before.

Payne, who was wanted for questioning by police in the Ervin slaying, survived the shooting. Ross was gunned down Aug. 25 outside his family's Millicent Street home.