'Hell on earth' - Residents, lawmakers demand Bronx "open-air drug market" be shut down
NEW YORK - Residents living on Melrose Avenue in the Bronx are expressing their outrage over what they call an "open-air drug market" that has taken over part of the street.
FOX 5 visited the neighborhood Wednesday, and found a disturbing scene. People openly using drugs, money changing hands, and a man projectile vomiting and passing out in broad daylight just steps away from the 149th Street subway station.
"It's like hell on earth," one neighbor said.
Now, Rep. Ritchie Torres, along with those who live and work nearby, are accusing the city of ignoring the crisis and calling on Mayor Eric Adams to address the situation immediately.
Fentanyl crisis claiming thousands of lives
New York City is still grappling with the nationwide fentanyl crisis. The Department of Health reported last year that there were 3,026 overdose deaths in the city in 2022, a 12% increase from 2021. Fentanyl was the most common substance involved, and was present in 81% of overdose deaths.
FOX 5 spoke with Hassan, a business owner who has run a store on Melrose Avenue for 20 years. He says he pays someone to clean urine and feces off of his store every morning. According to Hassan, things have become so bad he is losing customers, many of whom are women.
"People don't really want to pass here seeing people's [feces] and pee," Hassan said. "They'd rather go to another store."
In a letter to Adams, Torres demanded that the city dismantle the open-air drug market that has taken hold on Melrose Avenue.
In a statement, City Hall told FOX 5 that it had received the letter and looks forward to working with the congressman to improve safety.
While Torres says he's happy to help, he believes it's the mayor's job to affect meaningful change.
"Ultimately, the mayor runs the city, right? He congrols the police department. He controls the Department of Health. And he should be deploying both police officials and health officials to dismantle the open-air drug market," Torres said.