Activists, residents rally against Kew Gardens jail plan

NEW YORK (FOX 5 NY) - Protesters gathered outside Queens Borough Hall in Kew Gardens on Sunday to express their frustration over beig shut out of the conversation about building a new jail in the neighborhood.

As part of an effort to close the notorious detention facilities on Rikers Island, the mayor’s office is planning to build a new jail on the site of the Queens Detention Facility on 82nd Avenue. 

However, attendees at the protest said that none of the details of the plan were never discussed with the community first.

“You need to fix the problem where it’s at. Not spread it somewhere else,” said one protester.

The mayor's office responded to a request for comment, saying in part: "We are comitted to working with local residents and advocates. We will continue to be responsive to the concerns of local residents, but we won't delay our mission to close Rikers."