We know a good story when we see one and the one first reported by GerritesenBeach.Net that we posted about on Sunday was a very good one. That’s the one about the suggestions that Manhattan Beach privatize its public waterfront, put a police checkpoint on the bridge from Sheepshead Bay and take other measures to keep “thugs” away. Well, the New York Post picked up the story yesterday (adding a nonsensical “the Post has learned” to details reported two days earlier on GerritsenBeach.Net and, as a result, on GL) and Channels Five and Nine turned up to do a story and interviewed, among others, the blogger who originally reported the story at great length. In the meantime, the police have stepped up their presence in the thug-infested beachfront (it’s probably one of the safest spots in Brooklyn). The originator of the checkpoints/private beach to stop the “thugs” idea backed away from the original points a little, but not much:

Those extreme suggestions have absolutely nothing to do with MB residents or the Manhattan Beach Community Group. As a matter of fact they are the ones that are the most outraged. If those unfortunate instances that were reported to me were indeed true, then I personally stand behind everyone of those extreme suggestions as a way to tackle the situation. Remember there ARE metal detectors @ public schools, public pools and all public buildings. They are there for a reason.

You can check out some pics of the scene yesterday here on flickr. You can also find the Channel Five Fox report on the issue here. To be continued.