Send Anti-Gun Cops To 125th Street, Harlem Congressman Says

HARLEM, NY — One of Harlem's top elected officials is recommending a slew of policy changes to improve conditions along the 125th Street corridor amid safety concerns stemming from drug use and recent violent crimes.

U.S. Rep. Adriano Espaillat shared the 10-point list on Friday, which he said had been created after a series of meetings with Mayor Eric Adams, and developed alongside City Councilmember Diana Ayala, Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, and other local leaders.

Since the start of the pandemic, some residents have sounded the alarm about deteriorating safety along 125th Street. Issues have included open drug use and visible mental health crises, shoplifting targeting local retailers, a pair of broad-daylight shootings, and a violent rape attempt two blocks south on 123rd Street last month.

"Harlemites have been at the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic for two years, hard hit by the immediate health emergency and the longstanding challenges that the pandemic underscored," Espaillat said, citing high unemployment, rising gun violence and a lack of affordable housing as contributing factors.

Many of the proposals would need buy-in from government agencies to be implemented, and Espaillat's office did not say whether the suggestions would be sent to any specific groups.

Some of Espaillat's suggestions involve law enforcement. First on the list is to "Amplify Neighborhood Safety Teams in West and East Harlem," referring to the anti-gun NYPD units that were recently dispatched to two Harlem precincts — with another two to follow.

He also calls for increasing the number of city Parks Enforcement Patrol officers at Marcus Garvey Park, Harlem Park, and Dr. Ronald McNair Playground — the latter of which was temporarily shut down in 2020 due to rampant drug use — in order to "discourage illicit activity and encourage a safe welcoming open space environment."

Touching on drug addiction, Espaillat also proposes reducing by 50 percent the number of methadone clinics and "other related services" along the 125th Street corridor. There, Espaillat echoes a long-standing complaint from residents who say Harlem's high concentration of methadone clinics has led to an influx of vulnerable people on neighborhood streets.

On a related note, Espaillat suggested that the city create additional bus routes from Wards Island — alluding to a frequent claim that residents of the island's homeless shelter often take the M35 bus directly into East Harlem, where some are preyed upon by drug dealers.

Some of the ideas released by Espaillat's office were more general, like the proposal to "engage and support youth" on 125th Street or to crack down on the "iron pipeline" in which weapons are smuggled into the city from along the East Coast. (The mechanism for that crackdown was unclear.)

More concretely, Espaillat's list also recommends the creation of a committee staffed by senior leaders from government agencies, local lawmakers, and other stakeholders along 125th Street.

Compared to last year, reports of crime have risen in the two police precincts that cover most of 125th Street, according to NYPD data

Here is the full list of safety suggestions released by Espaillat's office:

1. Amplify Neighborhood Safety Teams in West and East Harlem.
2. Reduction of Methadone Clinics and other related services in the 125th Street corridor by no less than 50%.
3. Crack down on the “Iron Pipeline” and “Ghost Guns” in the 125th Street Corridor.
4. Increase Violence Interrupters in the 125th Street Corridor - specifically in neighborhoods that currently have few or none.
5. Establish additional bus routes from Randall’s and Wards Islands.
6. Support Mental Health Assistance throughout West and East Harlem and Enhance Homeless Services.
7. The establishment of an ad-hoc committee composed of senior leadership members of the offices of the Mayor, Representative Espaillat and the Governor, key agencies including OASAS and DOHMH, MTA, DOT, NYCT, DSNY, law enforcement including the NYPD and the Manhattan DA, and lastly- elected officials and key stakeholders on 125th street.
8. Engage and Support Youth in the 125th Street Corridor.
9. Mitigate Financial Stress in the 125th Street Corridor.
10. Increase number of Park Enforcement Patrol officers at ART Park, Dr. Ronald McNair and Marcus Garvey parks to help discourage illicit activity and encourage a safe welcoming open space environment.

Related coverage:

• Harlem Leaders Sound Alarm Over 125th Street Safety Issues
• Controversial Anti-Gun Units Headed To New Harlem Nabes: Mayor
• Mayor Visits East Harlem Blocks Troubled By Drug Use
• Harlem Facing 'Public Health Crisis' From Drug Use, BP Says