WWW.QNS.COM RIDGEWOOD TIMES SEPTEMBER 3, 2020 25
LIC residents raise funds for private security
to patrol waterfront, offi cials voice concerns
BY ANGÉLICA ACEVEDO
AACEVEDO@SCHNEPSMEDIA.COM
@QNS
Long Island City residents have
taken it upon themselves to hire
private security guards to patrol
the waterfront and parks, aft er what
they say has been months of partying
and littering in their neighborhood.
A group of residents began a Go-
FundMe page to raise funds for additional
security earlier this month,
and in less than a week have nearly met
their goal of $8,000 with more than 100
donors. But some community members
and elected offi cials have expressed
disagreement with the method.
“The reason the community came
together to do this is because we
thought this would be a good way to
help support constructive activities
in the park and quality of life,” said
Yolanda Tristancho-Helwig, one of the
organizers. “We’ve been experiencing
a lot at the waterfront. The pandemic
has caused people to need an outlet
and it’s gotten worse throughout the
summer.”
Tristancho-Helwig and other Long
Island City residents say there’s been
ongoing instances of “organized parties,
drag racing, motorcycles, fi reworks,
extremely loud music, hookas, drugs,
and alcohol” in the last two months.
They also contend there have been
about two dozen food trucks stationed
at the waterfront without permits.
Photos shared with QNS show some
empty bottles, smashed bottles and
graffiti left along the waterfront’s
Gantry Plaza State Park and Hunters
Point South Park.
Both parks close at 10 p.m., but waterfront
residents said the parties begin
aft er nightfall and continue well until
3 a.m.
When asked about the Long Island
City residents’ eff orts, a spokesperson
for the NYC Department of Parks and
Recreation said, “Hunters Point South
Park is a valued recreational space
open to all New Yorkers. As per our
normal protocol, this park is patrolled
daily by Parks Enforcement Patrol
(PEP) offi cers.”
PEP offi cers take an educational approach
whenever possible, as opposed
to making arrests or issuing summons.
Typically, summonses are only issued
if park patrons refuse to comply.
The spokesperson said the parks
department recently “added some
night patrols to monitor the park and
surrounding area.”
Rob Basch, president of nonprofi t
and volunteer-run Hunters Point
Park Conservancy, which helps take
care of the newly opened parks, said
complaints have gone up this summer
compared to previous years.
“Hunters Point Parks Conservancy
has been concerned for some time about
the illegal and disruptive activities that
have been occurring in our waterfront
parks at night,” the organization said in
a statement. “During this time, we have
been in constant contact with many
stakeholders in the community including
park offi cials, elected offi cials,
neighbors, local business owners and
the 108th Precinct.”
Basch and Tristancho-Helwig say
they understand the 108th Precinct
is “overwhelmed” and “strained” in
the wake of COVID-19 and the ongoing
protests for racial justice.
The 108th Precinct, which patrols the
waterfront, did not respond to multiple
requests for comment by press time.
Tristancho-Helwig said her and
fellow neighbors have reached out to
their elected offi cials and city agencies
for help, but their calls have gone
unanswered.
Local Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer
took to social media to address the
situation on Tuesday, Aug. 25. He said
that he’s had many constituents reach
out to his offi ce about the decision to
hire a private security patrol, “some in
favor, many opposed.”
“Quality of life concerns are real and
the City and State have to do a better job
of responding to them,” Van Bramer
said. “But in this moment, where we
face a global pandemic, record unemployment
and a recession, a city budget
defi cit of $10 billion, and a national
uprising over racial injustice and all
forms of inequality, I am deeply uncomfortable
and oppose a plan where
wealthier individuals fund private
security to patrol public parks and
spaces.”
Van Bramer said the waterfront
parks are not a “war zone” like some
residents have depicted it in groups online,
and that a “private security force
is a slippery slope toward a situation
that could get out of hand quickly.”
He added that he’s been in contact
with the Queens Parks Commissioner
Michael Dockett about a possible community
wide meeting to talk about the
issue and come up with other options.
When asked by QNS if there were any
set dates for a community-wide virtual
meeting, his offi ce did not respond.
The following day, a petition against
the hiring of the private security began
to circulate, stating private security
could “increase the risk for Black and
Brown residents of the community.”
“Aft er months of reading posts on
the Hunters Point Civic Association
Facebook page, I worry that many in
the community actually have issues
with black/brown sic and low-income
folks in the neighborhood,” the petition
read. “There are signifi cant amounts
of coded language and the ‘othering’ of
the subjects of the posts.”
The petition has garnered almost
400 signatures. The petition states its
creators will deliver it to Van Bramer
and State Senator Michael Gianaris.
Senator Gianaris’ offi ce said it is “in
touch with residents and working on
steps to ensure the community remains
vibrant, safe and clean.”
Tristancho-Helwig said Van Bramer’s
response was “very disheartening.” She
sent the councilman a letter days prior
to his online statement, but heard back
from him days aft er his statement.
“We’re not discriminating, just telling
folks to have a good time but clean
up. That’s the goal,” she said. “It’s not
about telling people to get out. I think
the climate … has leant people to be
more sensitive to the word security.
They think it’s us being elitist.”
Assemblywoman Cathy Nolan said
that while she’s against the hiring of
private security, she’s calling on Mayor
Bill de Blasio to convene a task force to
address the issue, with the Hunters
Point Parks Conservancy as the lead.
The Conservancy — which recently
invested in Bigbelly Trash Cans to
alleviate accumulating trash in the
parks — said they would gladly work
to fi nd a solution.
“The Conservancy is committed to
working with all concerned stakeholders
to solve the problems we collectively
face,” their statement read. “We will
continue to partner and off er support
to initiatives that support our mission
through the proper channels.”
Tristancho-Helwig appreciated
Nolan’s response and possible task
force, but said that organizing a task
force will take time. She also said she
understood Van Bramer and other
community members’ concerns regarding
safety of park-goers as well as
the security guards.
The group hired OnPoint Security,
a Long Island City-based company
launched by Urban UpBound. According
to their website, their staff are “personable,
friendly, and committed to the
success of your business or event.”
They began their patrol on Thursday,
Aug. 27 with a community meet
and greet, which Tristancho-Helwig
said was successful and allowed
supporters and opposers to “speak
respectfully and gain a better comfort
zone with this initiative.”
Tristancho-Helwig said there will
be two, unarmed security guards
wearing all black with shirts that say
“security” patrolling the parks from 10
p.m. to 4 a.m. until the end of October.
She added the security guards will
help “document illegal or dangerous
activity” and tell park-goers to keep
it down while they enjoy the park.
The private security guards do not
have the authority to arrest anyone
they suspect of perpetrating illegal
activities.
“They’re trained to de-escalate situations,”
Tristancho-Helwig said. “It’s
better than a community watch by
residents.”
Tristancho-Helwig said they’re not
looking to make the public park private,
just “regain peace and quality of
life.” She said she’s even received calls
from people in Manhattan’s Upper
West Side who have organized a community
watch and are looking to hire
private security guards.
A spokesperson for the Parks Department
said they encourage New
Yorkers to be the “ears and eyes of our
parks,” and to report any prohibited
activity to 311 or in the case of true
emergency, 911.
“We are also working with the local
police precinct to enforce Parks’
rules and address noise and vehicle
complaints,” the spokesperson added.
“Parks has no plans to authorize a
private security contractor to patrol
Hunters Point South Park.”
Courtesy of Hunters Point Parks Conservancy
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