Although the authorities in the Big Apple insist that crime in the city has decreased, they also recognize that in many parts of the Big Apple chaos and disorder reign. Violent acts against pedestrians, constant robberies in stores, attacks on merchants, people using prohibited substances in the open air, mentally ill New Yorkers with reckless behavior, drunk New Yorkers and mothers with small children lying on the sidewalks begging, are some of the images that reign in different parts of New York, such as Midtown, in Manhattan.
And after months of constant complaints from business owners in the so-called heart of the Big Apple, such as Julio Quiñones, owner of a warehouse on Eighth Avenue, who claims that the authorities have turned a deaf ear to “so much nonsense,” this Tuesday, Mayor Eric Adams, together with Manhattan County District Attorney Alvin Bragg, announced a front line of struggle to restore order, security and tranquility to the center of the busiest county in the city.
“It was about time the Mayor listened to us, because we have been complaining daily for more than two years and asking for Manhattan to be rescued, because this has become a horrible place, and I don’t just blame many of the immigrants who have arrived but also other lazy people, mentally ill people and criminals who are doing their thing,” said the merchant, who preferred to hide the name of his business for fear that “the criminals” would take action against him. “But what they have to do is deal with criminals and those who do not respect the laws or the basic rules of behavior with a firm hand, otherwise this chaos will not be fixed by God.”
The plan announced by the local leader and District Attorney Bragg, called the Midtown Community Improvement Coalition, aims to improve the quality of life in the area through joint efforts between various municipal agencies, the NYPD, law enforcement, elected officials, the community and business leaders. The goal is to address public safety and quality of life issues with solutions from different sectors, just as they did with the Interagency Center of the Business Improvement District (BID) on 125th Street.
“With the launch of the Midtown Community Improvement Coalition, we are redoubling our commitment to improving quality of life, protecting public safety and beautifying these historic neighborhoods beloved by working-class New Yorkers,” said Mayor Adams. “Government working hand-in-hand with the community is crucial to creating a vibrant, cleaner, more livable city where all New Yorkers can thrive, and that’s why community input is so important to our success.”
The Mayor explained that the coalition will work to curb retail theft, substance use, the mental health crisis, beautify the area, combat illegal scaffolding, and unlicensed cannabis stores through teams that will conduct periodic patrols to “observe issues in real time and speak with local community members and businesses on the ground.”
And in light of the fears of local residents like Venezuelan Odalis Lizarazo, who says she arrived in the Big Apple seven months ago and is begging for money on a sidewalk on Eighth Avenue with her young children, that the new plan could get her into legal trouble, the city has warned that it will help those who need support. Part of the plan is to “identify specific people in the area who may need connections to services, such as housing or medical care, and referrals will be made to the appropriate municipal agency or service provider,” the city administration said.
Jose Molina, who works at the 99 Cents pizzeria on 40th Street in Manhattan, was not optimistic about the announced initiative and asked the authorities to find a way to better prosecute those who have sown chaos in various parts of downtown Manhattan.
“The police are always around here and that’s good, but they can’t be everywhere and especially at night there are many who break into the stores to steal, grab things and leave without paying and even threaten us like what happened to me when they threatened me with a bat and when I told them I was going to call the police they told me that they already knew that nothing would happen to them. We have to punish them so they learn,” said the Mexican worker.
And even pedestrians like Camilo Lugo, who says that in the past the area surrounding Times Square, which has 57 hotels that receive millions of tourists, was his favorite area, regretfully says that he now seems to be in an unknown place.
“It hurts me to see that Manhattan has become like this, with homeless people and mentally ill people everywhere, and now even cell phone and wallet pickpockets and people selling everything on the sidewalks and asking for money with children. It’s a shame, but if they don’t get tough, this won’t change soon,” said the Colombian, who has worked in a restaurant in the Broadway theater area for more than 10 years. “They have to send a strong message to people so they understand that if you do it, you have to pay for it. One understands that there are people in need, but we can’t allow so much chaos and crime, because around here we even see a lot of shootings and that’s very serious.”
District Attorney Bragg said the coalition began to take shape last year between local government and community organizations to address public safety and quality of life concerns expressed by residents of Midtown West, Manhattan, between 34th and 45th Streets and Seventh and Ninth Avenues, and said it will see a new face.
“Midtown Manhattan is essential to the economic well-being of our city and the entire region. It is one of the busiest commercial districts in the entire world, home to thousands of permanent residents, iconic tourist attractions, restaurants, retail stores, and critical transportation hubs that are the gateways to our city,” said Attorney General David A. Smith. “This new coalition, which combines the resources and expertise of a variety of agencies and vendors, will improve public safety and quality of life for everyone in the area. We have already demonstrated the success of these interagency collaborations through the 125th Street Hub, and I know we will see the same success in Midtown.”
Tom Harris, president of the Times Square Alliance, welcomed the program and said it will be vital to developing and implementing solutions to what he described as quality of life challenges in the corridor between Penn Station and the Port Authority terminal.
“It will be a plan that balances the needs of those suffering on our streets with those of the residents and visitors of our neighborhood. I am confident that if we all work together, our neighborhood will work better for all New Yorkers,” said the Manhattan leader.
NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell highlighted the effectiveness seen in other partnerships that have been carried out in different neighborhoods, alleviating the concerns of residents.
“Our Community Improvement Coalitions have been very successful in cleaning up various areas around the city, and their work has been second to none. The partnerships we have formed continue to deliver tangible results to improve the quality of life for the people of this great city,” said the police officer, who insists that they have the resources and knowledge necessary to make an immediate and lasting impact on safety and quality of life improvements in Manhattan.
Among the agencies working on the initiative, in addition to the NYPD and the Mayor’s Office of Community Mental Health, are the Fire Department, Department of Buildings, Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, Department of Environmental Protection, Department of Health, Department of Homelessness, Department of Parks, Department of Sanitation, Department of Small Business, Department of Transportation, and the New York City Special Narcotics Prosecutor’s Office. The coalition will be co-chaired by Tom Harris, President of the Times Square Alliance; Barbara Blair, President of the Garment District Alliance; and Brian Weber, President of the Midtown South District Community Council.
Bridget G. Brennan, a Narcotics Prosecution Specialist, said that the “development of innovative strategies” to address the public safety and quality of life problems affecting downtown Manhattan will soon show visible results.
“This critically important area, which includes Times Square and the Eighth Avenue corridor, serves as a major transportation hub for millions of people and as a preeminent center of entertainment and cultural attractions for visitors and residents of the city alike,” she said. “I applaud Mayor Eric Adams, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and all of our other partners for their leadership in listening to communities and leveraging a variety of perspectives and expertise to ensure the safety and vitality of downtown.”
Barbara Blair, president of the Garment District Alliance, said she was pleased that authorities were finally taking action to combat what she called “social disorder on Eighth Avenue.”
“The challenges in this area have always been there, but they grew exponentially during the pandemic. The concentration of social service entities adds an additional layer. The Midtown Community Improvement Coalition will directly address the conditions in a coordinated manner,” said the Manhattan organizer. “The causes of disorder in the public realm are complex. This Coalition is an opportunity for the Sheriff’s Office, NYPD, DSNY, and others to respond as a team. In the first few weeks we have been working together, we collaborated to close loopholes and worked in a results-driven process.”