Adams, DA Bragg launch coalition to tackle Times Square safety, cleanliness
Officials push to clean up Midtown Manhattan
Mayor Eric Adams and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announced Tuesday the beginning of a new coalition that is pushing to make a cleaner and safer Midtown Manhattan. Officials say several different agencies are coming together to address issues like retail theft, the mental health crisis and beautification in the area. FOX 5 NY's Teresa Priolo has the story.
MANHATTAN - New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Brag announced a new coalition to take on safety, cleanliness and other quality-of-life issues in Times Square and throughout Midtown Manhattan on Tuesday.
The coalition, made up of 20 city agencies, will canvass Manhattan from 34th to 45th Street between Seventh and Ninth avenues, as well as 34th to 37th Streets on Eighth avenue.
The initiative aims to tackle issues like retail theft, substance use, the mental health crisis, beautification, illegal scaffolding, unlicensed cannabis shops, and more.
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It will also deploy teams to conduct regular walkthroughs and to observe issues in realtime and speak with local community members and businesses on the ground.
They will also identify specific individuals in the area who may need connections to services, such as housing or medical care, and make referrals to the appropriate city agency or service provider.
"With the launch of the Midtown Community Improvement Coalition we are doubling down on our commitment to improving quality of life, protecting public safety, and beautifying these historic and beloved neighborhoods for working-class New Yorkers," said Mayor Adams.
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"Midtown Manhattan is essential to the economic well-being of our city — and the entire region. It’s among the busiest commercial districts in the entire world, home to thousands of permanent residents, iconic tourist attractions, restaurants, retailers, and critical transportation hubs that are the gateways to our city," said DA Bragg.
Business owners in the area, like Abdullah Ebad of Ebad Fabrics, said he has never seen Midtown in the current state it is in due to homelessness and drug use.
"A great number of people who come to Times Square form their opinion of the city when they get out of Penn Station, when they get out at the Port Authority," said Tom Harris, President of the Times Square Alliance.
Time Square has its own police force dedicated to curtailing unruly behavior, and according to Harris, crime is down 26% and 9 smoke shops have been shut down in 6 weeks.