These are the Marcy Houses, 27 brick H-block buildings, each six stories high, that are home to nearly 4,300 people, many of whom are black or Latino. The rapper Jay-Z, who grew up in the complex, described Marcy as "a block away from hell," the place where "news cameras never come," in a song called "Where I'm From."

Now, the police have all but disappeared, raising safety concerns among some residents while pleasing others who view the police strategy as oppressive. A reporter saw only one police car on a visit on Thursday.

Police department data shows the number of arrests and court summonses has plunged across the city since the shooting. But it is in higher crime areas like Marcy Houses, and neighborhoods such as Mott Haven in the Bronx, that the lower police profile may be of most concern

New York Police Commissioner William Bratton confirmed for the first time on Friday that there has been a widespread work slowdown by police officers. Police unions deny orchestrating any slowdown.

SPOT THE COP

Marcy Houses resident Nisaa, a 22-year-old black woman who declined to give her last name, pointed to a nearby street corner and said that until a few weeks ago, there was always a patrol car parked there.

Before the December shooting, patrol cars could be seen parked in regular spots along the perimeter of the eight-block compound. Police officers were often seen on the rooftops of the buildings and on foot throughout the complex, according to residents.

"I drive my husband to work every morning at 3 a.m. and when I would come back they would be there," said Luz Delia, 34, pointing to a parking spot along the edge of the complex. She said she liked parking her car and going back into her apartment knowing they were there. "I used to feel more safe."

The president of the Police Benevolent Association Patrick Lynch has said the union has not initiated or supported a slowdown, but experts say officers do have discretion in how they choose to enforce some infractions.

    If police officers are engaged in a slowdown, it could backfire if it continues, said Robert Snyder, an associate professor at Rutgers University who has written about police and community relations.

    "Police officers are not going to look good if they put on their uniform on and don't fight crime," Snyder said.

More than 11 miles from Marcy Houses lies Mott Haven in the South Bronx. The shops that line the main street of this poor neighborhood, population 91,000, are rarely the name-brand national chains, while music in Spanish spills out onto the streets from small stores.

  Take the No. 6 train from Manhattan and into the Bronx, and the cars slowly become less white. The Bronx area that includes Mott Haven is almost exclusively black or Latino, according to a Census survey.

Just a few minutes of conversation with residents in the neighborhood is enough to draw out stories of shootings, stabbings, murder, or other violent crime, either experienced personally or witnessed. Police stops are considered a normal part of life, just another every day occurrence.

Yahaira Quinones, 37, said her building was normally patrolled by police under the Clean Halls crime prevention program but "I haven't seen that in a while."

While crime in the Bronx has plummeted in recent years, residents in Mott Haven remain wary. Some of those interviewed said they simply try to socialize elsewhere and keep themselves and their children off the streets.

Not everyone sees a change in the police presence, and some of those that do are glad that there are fewer officers on the streets because they perceive police stops as demeaning.

Marissa Rivadeneira, 22, said she has definitely noticed fewer police around Mott Haven. She is now afraid when she walks home late at night from the subway station.

Rivadeneira used to call her mother on her way home, but now does not want to pull out her cellphone. When asked if her mother worries about her, Rivadeneira said, "Yeah, she does."

University of Washington scientists with the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network were setting up Thursday in preparation for Saturday's playoff game.

Their attention was initially drawn to the stadium in 2011 when a Marshawn Lynch touchdown run against New Orleans was recorded on a Seattle seismometer.

Scientists are using the stadium monitors to look for problems they might encounter with a real earthquake. They're also testing technology that could provide an early warning of underground shaking.

The move makes the University of Pikeville one of only a few schools in the nation to provide scholarships to those who play "League of Legends," a multiplayer online battle arena game, according to WYMT-TV (http:/bit.ly/1tLGEB2).

"It's actually becoming a worldwide trend," said Bruce Parsons, Pikeville's new media director. "This game is five-on-five competitive play. It takes skill, practice and a lot of teamwork."

"I think there are going to be a lot of students, both nationwide and international, who are going to look at our university who wouldn't have before," Parsons said of Pikeville, a small school.

Graduate Eric VanHoose said he is ready to coach the game, which he described as players competing "to try and get to the other person's base."

Pikeville plans will offer 20 scholarships when it begins "League of Legends" competition play in the fall.

"It will be a regime a lot like athletics," Parsons said. "They'll have to have a certain GPA. We'll look at them like student athletes. There will be practice time and video time when they have to study other teams for upcoming competitions."

At least one other school — Robert Morris University in Chicago — has made the game an official sport and offers scholarships.