From the Times Newsweekly:During the Oct. 5 meeting at Bethzatha Church of God in Elmhurst, COMET President Rosemarie Daraio told the 104th Precinct’s executive officer, Capt. Raymond DeWitt, and P.O. Thomas Bell of the Community Affairs Unit that vagrants have been occupying Cowbird Triangle, located at the confluence of Hamilton Place, Jay Avenue and Borden Avenue.
According to COMET’s newsletter, residents have also complained of homeless residents occupying another public triangle, the Oliver Hazard Triangle, on the southern side of the Long Island Expressway at the corner of Hamilton Place and Perry Avenue.
Daraio noted that some of the men have been observed hanging their clothes on the fences of the Cowbird Triangle. Their presence in the park, she claimed, has alarmed residents who are now afraid to venture to the location.
“They’ve got to get out of the triangle,” she said. “People feel intimidated. You’ve got to come up with something to deter them.”
Captain DeWitt and Officer Bell noted that the precinct has sent its Conditions Team to visit Cowbird Triangle and spoke with some of the homeless individuals, offering assistance through the city’s Department of Homeless Services. But Bell noted that no police action could be taken to keep the homeless persons out of the park unless the individuals were breaking the law.
“If we see the clothes hanging around the park, we can summons or arrest” them, Bell said. “But being a homeless person is not a crime.”
He went on to note that even in the event a vagrant was arrested for a crime, the chances were good that the person would return to the location upon being released from jail.
Despite the complications, Captain DeWitt indicated that police would continue to monitor the situation and take steps to persuade the homeless individuals to leave the public parks.
11 comments:
Imagine that. When people are dispossessed from their homes they don't magically vaporize.
Perhaps the city is going to take a page from Hitler. If not, they should stop defining "low income" as buildings where you need a six figure income and stop dismantling existing rent protections.
IS this a sign of the times or rock bottom veteran .drug and alcohol addicts that have long ruled our parks.
When is enforcement or social help made available to get these folks off out of our parks an public places as occurs in Manhattan - always a double standard with Queens taxpayer citizen paying the frieght for everyone else.
I called the NYC homeless department about this. Especially since I live so close to this spot and the fact that they have been going in yard looking for cans.
if they don't want the help with shelters, what do you expect the police to do. homeless is not a crime and until they do something they can't arrest them. i was at the meeting when officer bell said that and his hands are tied.. he also said some were from the neighborhood most likely thrown out of their homes due to drinking problems. yes an eyeshore and something has to get done to resolve the concerns of the community.
The cops cannot help you, they have been neutered over the last few decades by this ultra bleeding-heart liberal society. Everyone gets upset when they see some cop talking firmly to someone on the news, and then they cheer when that cop loses his job over it. So don't expect cops to start cracking heads anymore when it is convenient for you, because those days are over. And if you think any government official, local, state or federal is going to help, forget it, no one is coming to help. We are finally getting the society our complacent asses deserve, now live with it!
NYC shelters are not good, full of bedbugs, 2nd strain scabies & mentally ill violent crack heads.
I would rather sleep on the subway!
Would the be tolerated at City Hall Park at Broadway and Park Row?
ALL nyc parks close at either dusk or a set time after dark.If you are in the park after that time,you get a summons.If you don't have a gov't issued id,you get arrested,very simple.The 104 is not telling the complete truth.
Where is the NYPD's Homeless Outreach Unit?
Just think, we could have had another park in Maspeth. They ripped down a church to build town houses. I thought wow. Then they said a park. Now, no park, no church, no town houses or bums. All I know is that my property value has dropped.
So you can arrest them, so what? Then they become charges of the City and cost 60K or so to take care of and take jail space best set aside for murderers and rapists.
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