Brentwood Plans To Demolish Troublesome Structure Known To Attract Criminal Activity
BRENTWOOD, N.Y. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Residents of a Long Island community are hoping a planned demolition project helps bring an end to gang violence in the area.
Brentwood will dismantle an elevated railroad overpass known to attract criminal activity as part of law enforcement's crackdown on gangs.
Residents applaud the plan, but said the real fix starts at home, WCBS 880's Mike Xirinachs reported.
"What our government is doing to help the situation it can't be frowned upon, because any progress is forward progress," one resident said. "It all starts at the home, family values is what's going to make any community successful or fail."
The decision to demolish the bridge follows recent killings believed to be gang-related.
The skeletal remains of an 18-year-old, who police said was a known MS-13 gang member, were found in a wooded area near the Pilgrim Psychiatric Center earlier this month. The discovery was made days after another man was found beaten to death in what police believe was a gang-related incident.
In September, four Brentwood High School students were found dead. All are suspected victims of gang violence.
On Sept. 13, the day before her 16th birthday, Nisa Mickens' brutally beaten body was found on a tree-lined street in Brentwood. A day later, the beaten body of her lifelong friend, 16-year-old Kayla Cuevas, was discovered in the wooded backyard of a nearby home. The teenagers had been inseparable and shared an interest in basketball.
Days later, police discovered the skeletal remains of 19-year-old Oscar Acosta and 15-year-old Miguel Garcia-Moran in a remote industrial area of the town. Acosta had been missing since May, and Garcia-Moran vanished in February.
Nearly three dozen suspected gang members have been rounded up in recent weeks.
Last week, officials announced about $1 million in state funds have been secured for the installation and maintenance of license-plate readers, which will be placed throughout 20 locations in Brentwood. The cameras capture plate information that can then be checked against a list of wanted suspects, missing people and stolen vehicles.
Officers can "mine data" after crimes are committed, Suffolk County Police Commissioner Timothy Sini said, by searching information collected from the license plate cameras to identify specific vehicles or filter the results by the color of a car.
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