The Five Illegal Gamblers Were Arrested in the Bushwick Neighborhood of Brooklyn
Five Brooklyn men were arrested for gambling in the street on Menahan Street near Central Avenue. The men were shooting dice and passing a bottle of Patron Tequila amongst them when the police arrived.
All five men are facing gun charges, which may be the only reason they were not cited for the dice game and the open container. The officers say they were about to write citations for the gambling and public alcohol consumption when they found the gun.
Found a .40-Caliber Pistol
A spokesman for the police said that the arresting officers, who work out of the 83rd Precinct, found a .40-caliber pistols. The spokesman said, “Nobody fessed up to the gun, but one did admit to playing the game and drinking.”
Violations to Change from Criminal to Civic Category
The dice game arrests were part of a new initiative by Police Commissioner Bill Bratton to change quality-of-life violations in New York City. The police commissioner sent a letter to the City Council saying he wants to decriminalize such regulations, in order to lower the possible points of conflict between the NYPD and the residents of the five boroughs.
Under the new policy, traditional violations like turnstile jumping, drinking on the street, riding a bicycle on the sidewalk, and urinating in the street would not longer be criminal acts. For the time being, gambling on dice games and public inebriation is still considered illegal.
No More “Broken Windows” Enforcement
Instead, the traditional “broken windows” police strategy would no long be in-force. Instead, such criminal violations would become civil charges. Critics of the broken windows policies say such police tactics unfairly target African-American and Latino segments of the population. Statistics show that 81% of such violations come from those demographics.
The suggested policy change comes as police and citizens are having more emotionally-charged confrontations, while police departments are coming under criticism for their treatment of America’s ethnic minorities. Commissioner Bratton’s letter to the City Council is meant to address concerns stemming from the wave of protests and riots in the wake of the Ferguson, Missouri riots, in the wake of the shooting of 18-year old African-American robbery suspect, Michael Brown.
Balitmore Riots Influence NYC Policies
In the latest turns of events, Baltimore has erupted in riots after the death of a 25-year old man, Freddie Gray, died after one week of custody. Prior to being arrested, Gray was in good health, but he received neck and spine injuries during the arrest. After he died, his death was ruled a homicide and all 6 arresting officers were charged with crimes. Meanwhile, riots erupted which caused the injuries to 20 police officers, 250 arrests, the call-up of the National Guard, and a declaration of a state of emergency by Maryland’s governor.
Under the new policies set to be installed by Commissioner Bratton, crimes such as public containers would be punished with a ticket to be paid at one of New York City’s administrative courts, such as the Environmental Control Board. Such offenses no longer would involve criminals courts of any kind, while officers could not make arrests based on those violations. In some cases which do not involve ticketing, the police could not ask for identification.
Dice Shooting and Carrying Pistols
While it is somewhat extraordinary to have five men brazenly shooting dice in an open thoroughfare of the city, the gun charges are common. Just six hours after arresting the dice shooting quintet, the 83th Precinct cops arrested three people for threatening residents with a gun. The arrests took place on Wilson Ave., near to Palmetto St.
400-Person Brawl at Resorts World Queens
This is not the first drinking-and-gambling related arrest in the past month or so. On April 4, 2015, a 400-person gang brawl took place at the Resorts World Casino in Queens. The initial dispute came between two women waiting in line for the opening of a daiquiri bar inside the Resorts World Casino.
When men involved with each women got involved, a massive brawl erupted at various areas inside the bar and the food court nearby. Eventually, the fight spilled into the parking lot. Police and ambulances converged on the location. Several men with gang ties were arrested as the instigators of the massive brawl.
