May 23, 2008 6:32 am US/Eastern
Gang-Related Violence Has Far Rockaway On Edge
Relatives Mourn Death Of 15-Year-Old Innocent Bystander; NYPD Commish Kelly Pledges More Officers
FAR ROCKAWAY, N.Y. (CBS) ―
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The Redfern Houses was the site of the accidental killing of a 15-year-old girl over the weekend. Now, community members want the NYPD to step up patrols and root out gang members.
CBS
Enough is enough – that was the message Thursday night in a Queens neighborhood recently besieged by violence.
An emergency meeting was held as residents tried to make some sense of a senseless killing. CBS 2 HD was there.
As memorial candles flickered outside, red-hot outrage spilled over inside the packed emergency meeting at the Redfern Houses in Far Rockaway.
"We gotta find a way to secure ourselves," one person said.
City Councilman James Sanders hammered home an urgent call to action -- sparked by shocking violence, especially the stray bullet murder of Brandon Bethea. Only 15 years old, Bethea was caught in gang gunfire.
"We need to patrol our own community," Sanders said.
Bethea clearly made an impact on those in her community. Many remembered her fondly Thursday night, but were angry such a bright light was extinguished senselessly.
"I raised her as a child, took her to different talent shows and I live in the building where she got killed so it could have been one of mine hurt," Monique Daily said. "So it hurts really bad. I took her to dance recitals.
"They gotta get rid of the guns."
Daily came to the packed meeting after a long day at this funeral for a girl who loved cheerleading and entertaining people.
"She liked to dance and people took her life," said Ajahani Hibbert, cousin of the victim. "They don't even know what life is."
"The streets are filled with blood," one relative said.
For residents, it is a wake-up call. There have been seven recent shootings in this one small section of Queens and two teens are dead. The NYPD has responded with more patrols.
"We have deployed an additional 50 officers a day in the Rockaways in the immediate aftermath of the seven shootings that have taken place here over the weekend," Kelly said.
Residents also want cameras, community block watches and they want to spread the news that anyone who sees crime needs to speak up ... report it ... and help make it stop.
Far Rockaway is a community on a scenic strip of land between the Atlantic and Jamaica Bay. But Councilman Sanders says it has fallen on hard times because the city has turned its back -- not developing jobs and closing facilities.
"While you're still counting beans there will be more bodies," Sanders said. "Give us tools to defend ourselves."
Kelly on Thursday announced the broadening Operation Gun Stop, which allows anonymous callers to tell police about illegal guns and receive a $1,000 cash reward.
CBS 2 HD's Jennifer McLogan contributed to this report.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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