No Police Response

Howard Safir, Commissioner
Police Department
One Police Plaza
New York, NY 10038
July 17, 1996

Dear Commissioner Safir:

On the night of July 15, I called the 28th Precinct twice--at 9:16 and approximately 15 minutes later about a young African-American man who was playing rap music (profanities included) from a makeshift cart equipped with a green and white umbrella. He was standing in front of [a building on West 113th Street], across the street from my bedroom window. I often see this person in the neighborhood selling music cassettes (obviously home recorded) and playing the music at a very high volume.

The officer who answered the phone that night told me his name was Joynes. He also told me that it was "a very busy night" and that the first available car would be sent. No car came. Although at 9:50 a police van was traveling down 7th Avenue toward Central Park at the same time that the young man was going in the opposite direction (up 7th Avenue) with the music still playing loud. No attempt was made by the officers in the van to silence him.

Mayor Giuliani is always talking about bettering the quality of life for city residents , but I see very little enforcement with regard to quality of life in Harlem. Such behavior wouldn't be tolerated on the Upper East Side, Chelsea, or other more affluent areas. Whereas in Harlem anything goes. This young man is a nuisance and should be ticketed and/or have his music-box-on-wheels confiscated because the music is way too loud. He is as much a nuisance as a panhandler or squeegee man.

If cops were put on foot patrol at night instead of rolling around in cars, it would help discourage this kind of behavior.

Sincerely yours,

Charles Michael Smith

cc: 28th Pct. Commander, Dep. Insp. Joyce Stephens