Safety Alert: Franklin & St. Marks Aves. (77th Precinct)

On the Brooklynian message board, letaon reports a mugging at midnight on Saturday, 12/29/07:

I was mugged just before midnight on St Marks just east of Franklin. Some kids (16?) were walking up Franklin behind me, and I thought they might be following me, but one ran up ahead of me -- it seemed like he was just playing a game or something, so I didn't do anything.

Well, I should have trusted my instincts. He wasn't playing, even though he ran ahead and turned down St Marks, and met up with his friends, who were on bikes, on St Marks. When I got to my doorstep, I was attacked and mugged.

In retrospect, what's most disturbing about this is that these kids knew -- or at least, they seemed to know -- which street I'd be turning down. The one turned down my street before me, and met up with his friends on bikes on that street.

I was lucky. I didn't give them my wallet, and they only got my cell phone. They threatened to use a knife but I didn't see one. There was a not inconsiderable scuffle, so if they'd had one, I think they'd have used it, but who knows.

The cops who took the report indicated that there's been a rise in juvenile crime, particularly on Franklin, and particularly after 11 PM.

Be safe and aware, people!