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Sadly. the trend continues in Baldwin, despite a middle class group of latinos and caribs. moving there. Many posters would have you believe it's becoming a ghetto w/ trannies and crackheads. 2007 Money magazine rated it as one of the best places to live in the USA. I read some posts here that rate it as a place to avoid. BTW, I'd like to think these feelings are those of a few on Long Island.
The people who bought my parent's Massapequa house left Baldwin. Fifteen years ago they felt the area was taking a turn for the worse, didn't want to raise their young children there and wanted out. Classic white flight.
Undocumented illegal residents have taken over a large segment of the semi to unskilled service economy. Some aren't so successful and find their way into trouble, and they have their own predators who take advantage of the somewhat (although becoming more transparent by the day) underground life they must lead. This may at least in part contribute to deliquency, crime, and gang activity.
Why would someone leave their corrupt home country to become a drug dealer in the US? Drug dealing in Central America and Mexico is about the ONLY job a person can have down there. The people who come up here tend to be the ones who would rather mow a lawn than be in a cartel
The problem is that the gangs (mostly US citizens) come out to LI from NYC to extort the illegals (who can't complain to authority) and deal drugs to the working class (who won't complain to authority and will in turn sell to locals). The illegals are the prey of the gangs - who for the most part don't want the attention of middle class people and will avoid them when pressured. You guys are still scared of them, so they are proliferating. But once you get passed the fear, and stand up to them, they will leave quickly and quietly. They always do.
You all love to make the illegals the scapegoat but if you don't find a place for them your situation will get worse and worse. Even if the illegals weren't there the gangs would be. That is what they have been doing over the last few years - spreading out to suburban cities. Blame section 8 programs,state welfare programs, and drugs - that is why there are crips in Antelope Valley in the middle of the high desert, 2 hours from LA with no public transit to get there. Compared to that it's a piece of cake for a local gang to hop on in Queens and get off on LI to do a day's work. 2 guys in an apartment near the train station can bring big city drug dealing to any suburb. Cops cracking down on illegals is just wasting resources that should be going after gangs. That is why your leaders are clueless, because you guys still don't understand the problem yet.
Why would someone leave their corrupt home country to become a drug dealer in the US? Drug dealing in Central America and Mexico is about the ONLY job a person can have down there. The people who come up here tend to be the ones who would rather mow a lawn than be in a cartel
The problem is that the gangs (mostly US citizens) come out to LI from NYC to extort the illegals (who can't complain to authority) and deal drugs to the working class (who won't complain to authority and will in turn sell to locals). The illegals are the prey of the gangs - who for the most part don't want the attention of middle class people and will avoid them when pressured. You guys are still scared of them, so they are proliferating. But once you get passed the fear, and stand up to them, they will leave quickly and quietly. They always do.
You all love to make the illegals the scapegoat but if you don't find a place for them your situation will get worse and worse. Even if the illegals weren't there the gangs would be. That is what they have been doing over the last few years - spreading out to suburban cities. Blame section 8 programs,state welfare programs, and drugs - that is why there are crips in Antelope Valley in the middle of the high desert, 2 hours from LA with no public transit to get there. Compared to that it's a piece of cake for a local gang to hop on in Queens and get off on LI to do a day's work. 2 guys in an apartment near the train station can bring big city drug dealing to any suburb. Cops cracking down on illegals is just wasting resources that should be going after gangs. That is why your leaders are clueless, because you guys still don't understand the problem yet.
This is being seen in places like Vermont, too. Skell from NYC can distribute to many places along the I-91 corridor (New Haven & Hartford, CT; Springfield, MA; before winding up in VT and infesting small towns and cities alike up there.
IDK who mention a gay cruising area by the playground, but it's actually behind the Village Center, way up in the parking lot along the harbor. My friend, who just so happens to occasionally go there, was so kind to tell me.
Bee, the people you saw hanging around the restrooms were most likely drug dealing. They cracked down quite a bit this past weekend, and I have to say that the fireworks being held in the harbor this year (normally at the beaches)went off without a hitch. All in all, a good weekend, glad to report.
For those who did suggest I address public officials and complain, I did so with the mayor. She did acknowledge the problem, especially the current gang problem, which shocked me. The PJ constables have supposedly beefed up patrol and Suffolk is supposedly coming in for every call they get from PJ, which is good. They seem to be really focused on running the gangs out as soon as they start coming down. So, hopefully, if Suffolk and PJ keep this up, gangs will get the message it won't be tolerated here???
As for the race thing...I don't care what color or religion you are. It's not a flight issue for me, it's a gang/drug/vagrant issue for me. As it would be for any decent parent and/or person.
This thread is old but; I'm 21, and I live in Port Jefferson. Living here being my age, I know what goes on in relation to drugs/gangs/drinking/social life in downtown Port Jefferson better than you do. You may disagree, but you don't experience it like I do; I'm a primary source. Drug dealers downtown are few and far inbetween, its a dumb place to sell drugs, as constables and police are constantly patrolling because Port Jefferson is a tourist town. Occasionally it happens but on a whole, not a lot of drug dealing goes on downtown. Also, drug dealers use cars.. they don't stand behind bathrooms and wait for people to come to them, thats the dumbest and easiest way to get caught I've ever heard of. Don't try and argue this, I know what I'm talking about, drug dealers are not looking to get arrested. Uptown near the train tracks however is a different story. Its quickly deteriorating and becoming an all hispanic neighborhood, which I'll agree is more dangerous than downtown but what it comes down to is this is Port Jefferson; not New Haven, not Compton. There are problems but if you think they're extreme, you really need to see the violence and atrophies that happen elsewhere. Someone said they leave to go to Blockbuster armed, are you serious? There is absolutely no need for that, you are going overboard.
I read a few pages back not to bring kids out after 9? Thats ridiculous. Gangs downtown? Are you serious? Really? Honestly? Port Jefferson? This really blows my mind. I've lived here for 7 years, going downtown a few times each week, I can definitively say NO REAL GANGS hang out downtown. You might see some teenagers, dressed similarly because they think they're "fly" and "got swag".. but thats all there is to it. They'll stand around, looking tough, doing nothing because they think they're being cool. Trust me, I've met and talked to these people, and seen many different groups downtown. That's all it is, a friend group.. you guys need to relax. Maybe a few people from uptown come downtown.. just avoid them and mind your own business, they most likely don't mean trouble. Put yourself in their shoes, if they were illegal immigrants (unfortunate, but most likely) what would happen to them if they get caught participating in drug dealing or something gang related? They would be permanently done. Think about it. Then you've got the bikers, who are mainly older men but usually have tattoos, wearing black because they think its cool. Just another social group. They mind their business if you mind yours.
I'm a pale, skinny guy, never carry a weapon, I could easily be mugged. I walk around uptown, downtown, and I encounter no problems. I've also occasionally give the homeless living near 7-11 food or water, so they knew I have money on me.. nothing has happened to me and nothing will; there's nothing to be afraid of. I will agree that uptown near the station and past it is going downhill, but some of you are becoming so afraid its crazy. Port Jefferson is still a safe town, and a great place to have a fun day with the family.
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