78 | Rolling Stone | July 2019
Looking for Witnesses
Most public housing doesn’t have security cameras
in the hallways, so after a murder in Bed-Stuy,
Handley and Detective Matt Lamendola knock on
every door — using the same cadence every time,
“Po-lice” — hoping to find witnesses. Most residents
are hesitant to speak with the NYPD. “People feel
afraid, or don’t want to be labeled as snitches,” says
Handley. “They’ll call when they feel safe. They’ll
make arrangements to meet you somewhere else,
because people inherently want to help.”Pounding the Pavement
Detective Mike Narsingh hands out cards seeking
tips about open cases, including a double homicide
last spring in the Bushwick Houses. Sixty-two-
year-old Ana Del Valle’s hands were bound and
she was shot multiple times in the head; her
neighbor Basil Gray was shot in the stomach. Ana’s
daughter Mireya and her brothers have been in
communication with Handley almost daily ever
since. “Any case that goes unsolved is kind of in
your mind all the time,” Handley says. “I don’t think
you ever stop investigating.”THE HOMICIDE SQUAD