New York faces growing drug crisis, calls for city action
MANHATTAN, N.Y. (PIX11) -- At the entrance to the Lincoln Tunnel in Midtown, a man screams for ‘Narcan’ to be used on an individual who appears to be having an overdose.
Over by Jerome Avenue and Kingsbridge Road, in the Bronx, we met Jose. He was accompanied by who he says is his cousin but the man was unconscious and couldn’t speak.
Jose told PIX11 News, that he didn’t know how to get help to treat his drug addiction but that this corner was his “safe space,” because he could get drugs from a connection he has.
PIX11 News also observed a group of men on the steps of Elementary School 246 on Grand Concourse in the Bronx consuming what appeared to be illegal substances, during school hours.
For Council Member Diana Ayala, this is a crisis that hits home.
“I just lost my brother a little over a month ago, to an overdose. He suffered from serious mental health issues. He battled for his entire life. And as the Deputy Speaker of the City Council, I have found it often difficult for myself to get the resources that he needed to help him,” said Ayala.
In Washington Heights, we found another group of men, seemingly passed out at a park on 170th and Broadway.
“You have a lot of users, a lot of people on the floor, ambulance coming picking people up,” said area resident, Richie.
We noticed a similar situation at the 125-Metro North station on 116 Street and Tompkins Square Park in the East Village.
“A 26-year-old fell dead out of the porta party. Overdose Fentanyl,” said Russell who hangs out at Tompkins Square Park.
In September, we visited Melrose Avenue in the Bronx with Representative Richie Torres who had sent this letter to Mayor Adams asking for the city to take action. 9 weeks later, the problem remains.
“He is the mayor. He has the authority to deploy health and police officials to dismantle this open-air drug market,” said Torres back then.
NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Operations Kaz Daughtry told PIX11 News that the department is putting in the work, but it takes time.
“We are working hand with the Bronx DA and the narcotics team in that area to try to eradicate the open-air drug trafficking you see that you spoke about. Just because you may not see the change that you may wish our desire so quickly it takes a while for us to build a case in certain areas through the city,” said Daughtry.
“The city has not come up with a comprehensive plan to deal with the opioid crisis,” stated Ayala, adding that fentanyl is making the crisis even worse.
“We are not addressing the drug dealings that are coming into the community effectively, so the drugs are too easy, readily available. Where you had drug enforcement officers that were primarily securing and making sure those drugs were not coming into our boroughs. Those officers were now redirected to guns because we saw a spike in gun violence,” said Ayala.
“We always welcome more personnel, but we have adequate personnel to get the job done, and we will get the job done. Give us a couple of weeks and you are going to be happy with the results,” responded Daughtry.
As a mother of two, Samantha will be anxiously waiting for those results.
“My mother was a drug addict and that is why I was taken away for a while,” said Samantha. She also said she is alarmed by what her kids are exposed to living near Tompkins Square Park.
“They watch that every day people slumped over at the park, and they are looking,” she said.
Adding to that, the dangers of discarded syringes. Ayala shows us some of the ones that she picks up herself on a regular basis.
“We had two children last summer before the end of the school year, get pricked with a needled they found on the playground,” said Ayala.
In East Harlem, according to Ayala, two parks, including one on Lexington Avenue, between East 122nd and East 123rd, had to be closed to keep children safe.
“We passed a local law that would create a pilot program a buyback program for syringes and that was a desperate attempt to get the administration to say well we have a better plan. Three years after the plan was presented it has not been implemented.”
PIX11 News requested an interview with the mayor to ask him about a tangible plan to eradicate the open-air drug markets. We were redirected to the NYPD. We responded we wanted to hear from him. But never got an answer back.
“This is really, you know the perfect storm of a lot of things that have gotten wrong and a lot of resource areas that need to be fully funded or fully staffed In order for us in the community to see a difference,” concluded Ayala.
The NYPD, however, says neighbors may see that difference soon.
“There is a plan in place that is happening as we speak,” stated Daughtry.