Notice how there are none of these on Lorimer Street. via Flickr user jpmartineau

So you’re out walking in the middle of the day when nature calls. No wait, that’s not what this is about. You’re out walking at three o’clock in the morning and nature calls. More like to happen. What are you supposed to do? You could hold it until you get home we guess, engaging in a number of ridiculous dances, each one sillier than the rest. Or you could just take your chance in a dark spot on the street and relieve yourself. Which, everyone does. But they also all get caught in Williamsburg. (more…)

Hmm…looks good to us

DIY in Brooklyn: so hot right now. Of course, just because law abiding citizens are enjoying the fruits of their labor in the form of fire escape tomatoes and clothes made in their living rooms doesn’t mean that bad guys can’t get creative too. And according to DNA Info, that’s exactly what’s going on in Crown Heights right now. (more…)

Brooklyn we go hard

If you’re one of the people who have been saying that you’re eagerly awaiting a new crime spree to hit Brooklyn, if you want to see how murdery authentic your new neighborhood is or if you’re just bored at work, good news: there’s a new time-wasting map out there for you. SpotCrime is a public crime map that uses data culled from the police, public tips and news reports and then maps the data on GoogleMaps. The result you see above is all the crime that’s occurred in Brooklyn in 2013. (more…)

Oh hey, mind if we borrow your TV forever? via Flickr user techpro12

Brooklyn is much safer than it was in days when Myrtle Avenue was Murder Avenue, we all know that. And while farmer’s markets and strollers everywhere can give the impression that we live in some kind idyllic bubble, Brooklyn is still, y’know, urban. There are 2.5 million people who live here and not all of them are going to be nice. Some might even rob you. So don’t, as the Post reports, make it any easier for them and leave your door unlocked. (more…)

Hey girl, hey (image via LA Times)

Well here’s some bad news/good news. The bad news? A spike in crime against women in North Brooklyn. The good news: The Brooklyn Bike Patrol, a volunteer organization that accompanies women home still exists and are more than ready to help. We’e previously covered the bike patrol here, and obviously it would be WAY better if there was no need for this bunch of mensches, but as long as people are attacking women, it’s good they’re here. (more…)

Apparently small crimes are like overdue library books: if you just hold out long enough, an amnesty day will come along and wipe out all your charges. The Village Voice reports that today is a magical get-out-of-jail-free day for Brooklynites who are wanted of certain crimes ranging from possession of pot to public drinking to riding your bike on the sidewalk. All you have to do is show up at Mount Pisgah Baptist Church at 212 Tompkins Ave. in Bed-Stuy between 9am and 3pm today, fill out the proper paperwork and your charges will be dropped.

So, if you’re currently a fugitive for any of the aforementioned crimes — and your charges are in Brooklyn — just go to the Mount Pisgah Baptist Church at 212 Tompkins Avenue on Friday between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. and get those charges swept under the rug. UPDATE: Here’s the official announcement and details. (more…)

Does anyone have a sublet for Jay-Z and Bey? [E!]
Wake up wake up, it’s the thirst of the month [Broke Ass Stuart]
It’s a bike trap! [Gothamist]
Slope cops turn fashion critics [WSJ]
Bro mag picks NYC’s best dive bars [Complex]
Groupon bubble bursting? [NYT]
The 2011 Greenpoint Espresso Tour [Greenpointers]
Science planning to drink you under the table [Telegraph]

Jay Ruiz, founder and president of Brooklyn Bike Patrol

We heard lots of positive feedback about the free night bike patrols started in Park Slope to escort women home and prevent sex crimes. But the only skeptical questions we got is “who are these dudes? Are they safe?” Now, to ease your mind, the Brooklyn Bike Patrol not only has a Facebook page, they also got bright T-shirts! And it turns out we know one of them: Friend of Brokelyn Rob Blatt (who we can assure you, is not dangerous, unless you’re the Emmys, where he KILLS IT). You can see photos of the patrollers, read updates from their vigilante adventures and find out how to contact them. And you there, with that bike, nothing to do tonight and an overwhelming urge to Do Good? You can sign up to volunteer for the bike patrol too.

Artist's rendering of BK Bike Patrol

People are stepping up like crazy to fight back against the sex attacks on women in Park Slope. First came free self-defense classes, and now, Brooklyn bikers are trying to make the streets safer on their own. The Daily News reports on a group of 10 pedalers who have started the Brooklyn Bike Patrol to keep an eye on the streets of the Slope and Prospect Heights from 8pm-midnight and provide escorts home for anyone who needs it. ”The cops can’t be everywhere,” founder Jay Ruiz told the paper. “Just give us a call and we’ll have someone there.” To take Ruiz up on that, call him at 718.744.7592.

Reading about some of the nasty attacks against women in the Slope lately can make you nostalgic for when all you worried about was containing sidewalk stroller rage, especially when the cops don’t seem to be much help. But thanks to the internet and People Who Actually Give a Damn, you can do something about it! FiPS reports that after an online petition, Councilwoman Sara González is pairing with non-profit Center for Anti-Violence Education and fitness program Crossfit718 to provide free self-defense classes for women starting tomorrow. (more…)