 |
|
 |
 |
 |
|
Residents Come Together After Report of Sex Crime Responding to news last month that a 12-year-old girl was molested in her northern Tribeca building, nearby neighbors are organizing to address crime in the area. But while the frightening incident provided the spark for the concern, the neighbors who met—most from Walker and Lispenard Streets—had wider quality-of-life issues on their minds. “The umbrella problem is that there is a lawless, wild-West atmosphere in the neighborhood,” said Lorraine Merghart, a Lispenard Street resident who organized the gathering of more than 30 people at a local restaurant on Nov. 28. “We need to speak with one voice to get the police to do something about it.” Merghart said the group hopes to form a Northern Tribeca Community Association to help residents share information about safety and neighborhood issues. The top concern voiced by the residents who met at the restaurant and the next night at the 1st Precinct Council was the proliferation of peddlers in and around Canal Street. Many residents were angry about the crowds of hawkers selling counterfeit handbags. At the Council meeting, Commander Anthony Bologna said undercover police do arrest the peddlers, but after paying a minimal fine, they are often back at work the next day. “How about arresting the tourists when they buy the bags?” one frustrated resident asked. Bologna responded that selling counterfeit goods is illegal, but buying them is not. Residents also complained about the city’s Office of Temporary Disability Assistance that moved into 39 Walker St. two years ago. The agency issues healthcare cards for poor New Yorkers. Michael Groen, who has lived in 39 Walker St. for nearly 14 years, said his quality of life has diminished greatly since the agency moved in. “I’ve had people lying in the street with their pants down, I’ve had people urinating in my doorway and defecating in my doorway,” he said. But other residents were wary of the implications of a largely affluent and overwhelmingly white neighborhood agitating against social services in its midst. “I think it would be a crime to see this neighborhood turn into the Upper East Side, where people created walls and bars to protect their money,” said Renae Des Pointes, who attended the restaurant meeting. “This is New York, and we all live here for a reason.” Residents also complained about noise and disturbances emanating from the M1-5 bar at 52 Walker St. They said that patrons regularly spill out onto the street late into the night, idling their vehicles and blasting music. Bologna told residents that while issues like these deserve police attention, he is often short-staffed because his officers are pulled out of the precinct to assist in other parts of the city. Some residents floated the idea of hiring a private security team to patrol the neighborhood. Little mention was made of the incident that sparked the community gatherings, but some parents in the area say they are now worried about their own children. One mother told the Trib that she now picks up her 8th-grade daughter from I.S. 89 rather than allowing her to walk home along. “That could have been my daughter,” the mother said, “she comes home at the same time.” Police say a well-dressed white male, about 35 years old, six feet tall and 170 pounds with brown hair, followed the girl into the lobby of her building, then took her down to the basement where he forced her to touch him. The incident has been referred to Manhattan’s Special Victims Squad, and it is still active, Bologna said. Bologna tried to reassure residents, noting that crime in the neighborhood has actually dropped by 4.5 percent since last year, but conceded that the statistic offered cold comfort in light of the recent event. “I can talk about crime stats,” he said. “But it’s not going to change what happened to that little girl.”
[Home][Back][Search] [Advertise][Contact] The Tribeca Trib · 401 Broadway, 5th Floor · New York, NY · 10013 · 212.219.9709 |