As an independent organization, the WSA is in a unique position to actively advocate for the Washington Square neighborhood and provide our members with information on how individuals and organizations serving our community are responding to the challenges we face.

In 2021, the Washington Square Association created a new community affairs arm (see our 2021 Policy Recommendations). Since then, we have been active in advocating with numerous government agencies, elected officials, area non-profits and other stake holders to address our area’s public safety, public health, and quality of life issues including organizing a tour with our City Council Members (more below).

We find ourselves in a unique position as an independent organization to be able to actively advocate for the Washington Square neighborhood and provide our members with localized information with you on how our community community organizations are responding to the challenges we face.

Public Safety

We’ve heard from many of our members this year about their continued public safety concerns. While crime has risen across the city, as has homelessness, which is at its greatest level in NYC since The Great Depression, the Washington Square neighborhood has unique challenges because the Park is a global destination with a more than 200-year history as an important space for social protests and creative expression, and more than ever since the pandemic, as a place to party, all of which affect public safety and law enforcement. Importantly, NYPD Precinct 6, which includes the Washington Square neighborhood, has seen higher rates of major crimes than any other below 29th Street for many, many months

Expanded Police Presence

The Fall increase in police presence has had an enormous impact on area public safety, particularly in Washington Square Park. Comprised of two shifts of 20 officers each, each shift also conducts their roll call in the Park to add visibility and works with Parks Enforcement Patrol (PEP) officers to address rule violations. As a result there has been a remarkable improvement in the sense of safety the public feels, though there’s still work to be done here, namely ensuring the increased police presence can continue to impact public safety in 2023.

2023 Advocacy Priority: The Washington Square Association will be advocating for the Washington Square neighborhood be permitted to retain this detail, particularly during the Park’s high volume seasons in Spring and Summer to keep and advance the significant gains made in public safety and quality of life.

Northwest Corner

No area in the Park has benefited more from the presence of police than the Northwest corner. The rampant drug use and sales in the area have been items of concern for decades but this year, the Northwest corner was arguably the worst it's ever been. Enforcement is only one tool in the toolbox and the Parks Department has been busy at work upgrading all of the lamp lights so they are brighter than ever and in the case of the Northwest corner, two overgrown trees were pruned to increase sight of vision to the area, connecting the corner to the rest of the Park.

Some of the most effective solutions for the area lie in finding creative and engaging ways to use the space. Last year, Parks’ approach initially focused on shutting down the area and then adding programming on a limited basis. We are excited to share that the next iteration of strategy continues adding to programming and is establishing a partnership with area businesses to provide concessions in the Northwest corner. Finding additional ways to use the space while increasing the regular presence of stakeholders could help maintain the significant advances made in the area since late August.

West 4th Street Station Improvements

In March of this year, Council Member Bottcher organized a meeting with Council Member Marte, the MTA, the NYPD's transit department and 6th Precinct, and local residents for a site visit to the West 4th Street Subway Station.

During that site visit, issues regarding the lighting, crime, drugs, and cleanliness of the station, as well as unhoused individuals in need of services were discussed. As a result of that meeting, the MTA added additional cleaning shifts on all platforms and installed better lighting to the three Waverly Street exits. By summer’s end, West 4th had new cameras at all the entrances/exits that the NYPD can access via a live feed. This means an officer can look on their phone and see exactly what conditions are present at all the entrances/exits in real time.

These improvements were previously installed at the 34th Street station and made an impact, so the hope is that they will improve the overall safety of the station and dissuade gathering and drug use at the West 4th Street Subway as well.

Wheeled Vehicles - Slowing Down

The Parks Department noticed a reduction in electric vehicles last spring and summer, and 2022 continued to be an improvement on the previous year. That said, similar challenges from 2021 continue to exist, namely that it is unsafe for NYPD and PEP to step in front of moving vehicles and the Department of Transportation doesn’t have an enforcement division, so a variety of strategies were and will continue to be employed this year to discourage breaking the Park’s rules.

Skateboarding & Cycling: Building on last year’s successful addition of strategically placed planters in Garibaldi, which resulted in a marked decrease in the usage of the space by skateboarders, the Park’s Department employed the use of planters elsewhere in the Park and worked on new signage to inform visitors of park rules related to wheeled vehicles. Previous tent signs could easily fall over or be taken from the Park. With funding from the Washington Square Park Conservancy, the signs were replaced by 125 pound versions that are more inclusive by adding the rules in Spanish.

Graffiti Significantly Thwarted

Another great success concerns graffiti removal and the 2021 use of a protective coating on the Garibaldi statue to combat it. The Parks Department reports that they have significantly decreased the turnaround time of graffiti removal (where it once took several days, it now takes less than 6 hours). Timeline for removal has gone down wherever it’s been applied.

Following the success at Giribaldi, the coating was applied to the legs of the Arch this year and since then, Pressure washer -great expands off season removal capabilities. Since then there have only been a handful of incidents one incident of graffiti on monuments in the Park.

Social Services

Navigating FUnding For Social Services

The Parks Department and community stakeholders are still exploring a workable solutions for our neighborhood’s social services needs which are incredibly complex because as mentioned, Washington Square Park is both a city and a global destination. One option would be based on continued concerted, ad hoc effort by community leaders, social service directors, government officials, and neighborhood stakeholders including the Washington Square Association, to secure visits by various social service providers that resulted in coverage seven days a week. In order for that model to be reprised, a new funding source would need to be identified. The Association is currently gathering information from leaders in the space to identify the best way forward and will report back to you on findings.

New Drop-In Location for the Homeless

Paul’s Place is a drop in facility and Safe Haven on 14th Street between 6th/7th Avenues that opened in September. The Department of Homeless Services and Outreach are very excited about the opening as are we. The drop in part of the facility has fifty reclining chairs, showers, laundry facilities, food and a large number of services available to unhoused individuals. It’s the first and only drop in located in Community Board 2. Anecdotally, we’ve heard that Park regulars are starting to use Paul’s Place.

We’re Advocating For You & Our Neighborhood

In photo (left to right): Representatives from the Washington Square Park Conservancy, the NYPD, the Department of Homeless Services, Councilman Marte, Councilman Bottcher, Captain Stephen Spataro

Bringing Stakeholders Together To Problem-Solve

Pursuing holistic solutions is one of The Association’s three guiding principles for community action because an integrated approach has consistently shown the best outcomes when addressing complex, multi-pronged issues like crime, homelessness, and addiction. As part of this strategy, the Association regularly engages a broad range of stakeholders, and in late-August organized a walk-through attended by 20 leaders to discuss public safety and access to social services.

Attendees included:

City Councilman Erik Bottcher & Staff
City Councilman Christopher Marte & Staff
Goddard Riverside (a social services provider)
Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, Community Partnerships Unit
NYC Department of Homeless Services (DHS)
NYC Parks Department Washington Square Park Administrator William Morrison
NYC Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor
NYPD Precinct 6 Captain Stephen Spataro & Officers
Washington Square Association
Washington Square Park Conservancy

During the walk-through it was clear that the increase in police presence (of two shifts of 20 officers each) just over a week prior was already having a dramatic impact on the Northwest corner and beyond. Also clear was how many people in the area are in desperate need of social services, and both Council Members said they were in support of identifying funding to revive the successful 2021 social services model or other solution. The needs to address gaps in services, improve cohesion between social services providers and between policing and prosecution efforts were also identified. The Washington Square Association will continue to follow up with their offices and others in 2023 to make sure they are aware of and addressing the area’s public safety and social services needs.

Engaging the Manhattan District Attorney’s Community Partnerships Unit

Following the August walk through, the WSA organized a meeting with the Director and staff of the Community Partnerships Unit of the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office to offer insight into our neighborhood, present our analysis of CompStat crime data for Downtown Manhattan and Precinct 6, and better understand the Unit’s role and available resources. To make sure our community has this information as well, we will be partnering with the Unit on an informational event, “Arrest-to-Disposition: An Overview to the Criminal Justice Process” which explains the role of a District Attorney and the criminal justice process in New York County, including what happens from arrest through disposition and the goals of bail reform. We will share more details for this event in an upcoming newsletter.

WSA Community Update Winter 2022/2023