Halloween Fears in East New York
Posted on 08. Dec, 2009 by Janet Lawrence in Uncategorized
By Janet Lawrence
For shop owners and residents in East New York, Halloween stirs up real fears. And so does the Jason mask.
Jackie Davis said she is afraid that thieves are more likely to commit crimes under the cover of Halloween costumes. “What are you going to say, Jason robbed me?” she said. “If you got a costume on, you can stab someone and get away with it.”
Davis, who has lived in the area for 15 years, will not allow her 12 grandchildren to go trick-or-treating.
“It’s too dangerous,” Davis said while shopping on a recent afternoon at the San Miguel Botanica on New Lots Avenue.
Although crime is down in the 75th Precinct overall, according to city statistics, robberies in the area have increased from last year by nearly 18 percent.
Police do not expect crime rates to be higher on Halloween than on any other night, but the neighborhood’s residents say they cannot go out and enjoy the holiday like most other New Yorkers.
Davis was buying white purification candles, which she burns 24 hours a day leading up to Halloween to provide protection from what she called the season’s evil spirits.
The botanica’s cashier, Jackie Dorsey, said many customers buy white candles this time of year. “Voodoo and evil come out in October. They buy candles for protection,” she said.
On Sutter Avenue, the Grandbrook 99 Cent Deep Discount Store was densely packed with Batman and cowboy costumes and fake cobwebs for the upcoming holiday.
The store manager, Majad Sultan, 23, mentioned the series of “Halloween” slasher movies too and pointed to his most popular seller this year, a red Jason mask.
“Everybody loves this mask. They can rob you like that,” he said.
Sultan said there has never been a violent robbery at the store, but, $1,000 worth of goods has been stolen and more than 100 fights have broken out in front of the store over the past 10 months.
Fatima Orta, who was buying her daughter, Antwanasia, 5, a bumblebee costume, said they would not be trick-or-treating door-to-door in the neighborhood. Instead, they plan to celebrate at a party in their apartment building.
From the front of his home on Miller Avenue, Larry Williams, 43, said, “It’s just getting worse, all the shooting. No block parties, no trick-or-treating. Killer Miller, that’s what they call this street. This is where you die at.”
Police officials at the 75th precinct declined comment on citizens’ concerns about Halloween, and the Office of Deputy Commissioner Public Information responded to an inquiry with a handout on trick-or-treating safety tips.
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