Spotlight on Safety in Public Housing

Major felony crime in public housing is beginning to fall after being up by more than 30 percent over the past four years. As part of an ongoing effort,  the city is funneling money and manpower to 15 developments that have the most entrenched safety problems. At the Tompkins Houses in Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, felony crime is up by about 12 percent compared to this time last year—driven by an uptick in robberies. For residents, support for the initiative depends largely on their feelings about the police.

"Around my area, there's a lot of harassment...they lock us up for no reason and they're stealing our kids." — 20-year-old resident Jaguar Montana (right), rapping about the police.

(Ruddy Roye)

"I think it's a good idea because a lot of shooting and stuff goes around." —11-year-old Antwone Williams on more police patrols and brighter lighting at the Tompkins Houses. 

(Ruddy Roye)

Nearly 20,000 feet of scaffolding and sidewalk sheds have been removed from public housing so far, according to city officials. Tompkins residents like Ruby Murdock (in wheelchair) say they're eager for more of the bulky coverings to be moved from their development.

(Ruddy Roye)

A tattered pool table didn't discourage youth from spending more time at the community center this summer. Counselors said the center's extended hours — it's open until 11 p.m. — attracted about 50 kids a night.

(Ruddy Roye)

"I feel so much safer now that the cops are here....There are people watching out, so it's much easier for me to relax." —Community center regular Zindel Ramirez, 19.

(Ruddy Roye)

This story is the latest installment of the WNYC series RESET: Bedford-Stuyvesant, which examines the effort to improve relations between the police and residents of one Brooklyn neighborhood.