Neighborhood Chatter

Police Officer Shoots Dog in East Village A police officer shot and killed a pit bull in the East Village at approximately 4:25 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 13. The officer was one of four to respond to a call to check on the dog's owner, who appeared to be passed out on a sidewalk at 14th Street and Second Avenue in front of a KFC. When the officer attempted to wake the man up, the dog allegedly lunged at him, and he opened fire. The dog owner was reportedly 29 years old, suffered from epilepsy and had frequent seizures. A witness who called himself a friend of the unconscious man told the Local East Village that the man is known as Pollock and that the dog was named Star. An East Village resident on the scene said to Gothamist that at first the officers were "not aggressive" toward the man or the dog. "The dog was barking very loudly, as though it were protecting its turf," the resident said. The officers sprayed mace at the dog, according to the resident, then shot it when it advanced toward them. Police Issue Warning Over Subway Thefts The number of cellphone thefts around the city is increasing, and the NYPD is issuing a warning to all with those and other electronic devices. Over 70 percent of larcenies occur on trains and just under 15 percent occur on platforms. Police urge New Yorkers to refrain from using their devices onboard trains and on the platforms. They also advise riders to secure their bags with the electronic devices in them. Stay away from train doors if using a device and remain alert. Thieves usually target those with headphones on since this is a sign of distraction. The NYPD also suggest registering your iPhone using the "find my iPhone" application and keeping a record of the device's serial number to help recover the stolen property. Tribeca Film Festival Announces New Program The Tribeca Film Festival announced that next year's fest will take place April 17 to 28. They also unveiled a new transmedia program and award to celebrate new trends of digital media, as well as recognize these transmedia creators who employ an innovative, interactive, web-based or multi-platform approach to story creation. Filmmakers are encouraged to send in narrative features, documentaries and short-film entries. Bombay Sapphire gin supports this new program. Sept. 17 is the first day for submission and Nov. 30 is the official deadline. Check out other deadlines and the submission form (available Sept. 17) at tribecafilm.com/festival. High Summer Demand for NYC Apartments The city's rental market hit an all-time high in May, according to a FiDi report created by downtown real estate firm Platinum Properties. The report also confirmed that in June, the rent on studios increased again by 1.7 percent, one-bedroom apartments increased by 0.98 percent and two-bedroom apartments increased by .07 percent. Two new developments, Metro Loft's 166 John St. and Magnum's 254 Front St., are adding to the needed supply of apartments as rental inventory is decreasing due to the high demand. New York renters report on the Apartment Ratings website that average rents are increasing by about $112 this year.