Dear Editor:
It was nice to read about the “Stop the Violence Basketball Tournament” on Aug. 6. With a little encouragement, good things can happen. However, it sadly made me think about a violent and tragic event that occurred on West Side Avenue at Cosmo “Gussy” Disanto Memorial Playground and Basketball Courts. I had a conversation with Miriam Melendez, on, of all days, Election Day for the Board of Education. This, the same Miriam, Crossing Guard at P.S. 23, who lost her son Dareus Burgess at a young age due to violence in the area of these very same basketball courts. She told me that CCTV cameras were promised to help with the security at the courts but it simply never happened. Cameras haven’t been installed and Ms. Melendez doubts they ever will be. She continued to talk about the parks terrible condition, being run down by drug users and dealers of crack/cocaine and heroin.
What I think is that if the basketball courts want to keep away the druggies and dealers, a plan can be created. One that should at least be thought about is to have a cop there taking a list down of who “got next.” Drug addicts like to hang around basketball courts but they don’t like to play because they will get embarrassed by the athletes. There is a way to save the basketball court and provide this dying breed of play ground for those that want to play the sport. Two things can get rid of the bad news. Police Presence and that same policeman taking down names, addresses, phone numbers and date of birth. If you can compete and play basketball, you can stay and play by adhering to the conditions. Your information along with the desire to play either a half court or full court game puts you court side. Otherwise, you have to leave and go somewhere else. Drug activity and violence runs away from cops and athletes when they are put in the same place.
James Francis Waddleton