Walking at Night, Cops Urge Safety in Numbers

With the days getting longer, warmer and generally more hospitable, it’s easy to be flippant about walking alone at night. 

But following a spate of sexual attacks that roiled the area last spring, a number of organizations now see to it that you never have to make a late-night trek solo from the subway again.

and Safe Slope, both inspired in the wake of the attacks, offer women a guided walk home from the subway at night, from dusk until the wee hours of morning.

Since its inception in September of 2011, Brooklyn Bike Patrol has taken off, said founder Jay Ruiz.

What started as a handful of guys on bikes leading women home from five subway stations in Park Slope to Prospect Heights, has exploded into a 70-volunteer outfit with bike patrols stationed at 35 stations across Brooklyn. They even have snazzy new jackets for increased visibility, compliments of Sen. Eric Adams, D-Brooklyn.

“We are available the every single day, Ruiz said “We definitely want to prevent what happened last year.”

Walking with others is the most important step you can take, said Officer Dean Hanan, who works in 72^nd Precinct's Community Affairs office. Always try to walk with a group—even if you don't know them.

“If you’re not with people who you know, you’re getting of the train, you see a group, stay five, ten feet behind them,” he said. “Because usually when you’re around a bunch of people, the less things tend to happen. When you’re alone, you’re more of a victim. “

Though Hanan recommends keeping your phone handy in case of emergency, avoid fiddling with it. Staring at the screen of your phone means you’re less likely to be paying attention to what’s going on around you.

“It’s not like you’re intentionally being inattentive, but it’s kind of like a side effect,” he said.

Hanan said groups like Brooklyn Bike Patrol and Safe Slow are a boon not only for the community, but the police as well.

“Anytime the community comes together and helps out its own, it makes it easier on us,” he said. “I wish every neighborhood would do that.”

Another group is K9WaTch, started last fall by Windsor Terrace community members. Unlike Brooklyn Bike Patrol or Safe Slope, who have active volunteers on call, K9WaTch is more about harnessing the power of people already outside—namely, dog walkers—to keep an eye on the neighborhood.

"Sometimes things happen in our neighborhood that we feel could easily be prevented with a little more presence of somebody looking out for neighbors," said Jasmina Nikolov, one of K9WaTch's founders. "The idea was to try to create a watch that already had a structure in place with people already out walking their animals."

Though a K9WaTch member can technically be anyone who happens to be out and about, Nikolov said that volunteers can also sign up to be trained and given a yellow bandana, indicating that they're not just walking, but watching. 

"We're just showing people that there’s a neighborhood presence, that people are banded together to try to make sure criminals know that they don’t belong in the neighborhood," Nikolov said.

If K9WaTch has been somewhat inactive in the winter months, Nikolov said, it's only because interest petered with decreased crime. If crime flairs again, K9WaTch will, too.

But Nikolov said she hopes it doesn't come to that.

"I hope there’s absolutely no need for K9WaTch."

Brooklyn Bike Patrol:

• Tel: 718-744-7592
• E-mail: brooklynbikepatrol@gmail.com
• Facebook: facebook.com/BROOKLYNBIKEPATROL
• Twitter: @BKbikepatrol
• Hours: Sunday through Thursday, 8 p.m. to midnight. Friday through Saturday, 8 p.m. to 3:30 a.m.

Safe Slope:

• Tel: 347-709-8852
• E-mail: safeslope@gmail.com
• Facebook: facebook.com/SafeSlope
• safeslope
• Thursdays between 8:00 p.m.-1:00 a.m. and Fridays and Saturdays between 8:00 p.m.-3:00 a.m.

K9WaTch:

• E-mail: walk@k9watch.org