June 2023 Community Affairs Update

Public Safety

Increased Police Detail for The High Season

Good news! We’ve confirmed that Washington Square Park and the surrounding area will have an increased police detail during the Park’s high season, similar to the successful effort last year starting in August. Positively, this year’s detail is staffed by local area officers, which is a well-known strategy for meaningful community policing. 

New Commanding Officer of the 6th Precinct - Captain Jason S. Zeikel

6th Precinct Captain Stephen Spataro accepted a well-deserved promotion and passed command of the Precinct to Captain Jason S. Zeikel in mid-March. We are looking forward to building a relationship with the new Commanding Officer of the Sixth Precinct, and to learning more about how his strategies will serve the area.


Crime, Marijuana Sales, Vendors, Skateboarding & Amplified Sound

Captain Zeikel recently reported a wide range of updates at the April 26 6th Precinct Community Council meeting, most notably that crime in the 6th Precinct was down by 13% in the previous 28 days. He also detailed that there are now a total of 119 officers assigned to the Precinct and eight more from the Police Academy will be joining them soon.

To combat illegal pot sales in the Park, Captain Zeikel will be adding more officers after 4:30 pm and shared that he brought the 6th Precinct attorney to the park to identify if there was illegal vending, but noted that  “creative expression” vendors (e.g. political, artwork, religious) are legal. The WSA recently called upon the NYPD, OCM and Parks to cooperate to crack down on illegal cannabis vending in the park based on Governor Hochul’s new regulations.

Captain Zeikel also let us know that 6th Precinct officers have increased enforcement of skateboarders who violate Park rules and aim to respond to complaints of amplified sound within 45 minutes, noting that drum playing is not a violation as long as it is not amplified.

6th Precinct Community Council June Meeting 

Source: NYPD Twitter

The 6th Precinct Community Council provides a monthly Zoom update on community affairs and is attended by the leadership of the 6th Precinct, your neighbors and local businesses. You, too, can join the conversation (and receive meeting notices with the RSVP link) by sending an email to 6thpctcommunitycouncil@gmail.com. Community Council meetings typically take place on the last Wednesday of each month at 7PM via Zoom (except in July and August).


Social Services 

The Washington Square Association recognizes the great need for increased social services access in Washington Square Park and the surrounding neighborhood and will be ramping up our efforts throughout this summer and beyond. Stay tuned for more details, including how you can help, in our upcoming newsletters.

A Day Without Human Services 

A Day Without Human Services, the first-ever sector-wide protest on May 25, spotlighted the City's ongoing government-sanctioned “poverty pay” scale for community-based non-profit workers who earn 30% less than government workers in similar roles. The lack of funding for the human services workforce, which is predominately 70% women and 75% POC, is deeply problematic. 


We know that homelessness and mental health issues, including drug addiction, are complex challenges that require a host of human and social services to achieve a positive outcome for the individual, and for society. Human service workers, like those provided by Greenwich House, are on the front lines doing formidable and strenuous work in our area. In support of their work and the efforts to address the pay disparity, several Washington Square Association Board members signed a letter to elected officials in support of human services workers receiving a 6.5% statutory cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) in the final budget. 

City Council’s Mental Health Roadmap for NYC 

The City Council released its Mental Health Roadmap, a plan focused on strengthening investments in evidence-based solutions to improve mental health outcomes for New Yorkers on April 24. The Roadmap focuses on four key areas:

  1. Expanding prevention and supportive services in communities;

  2. Investing in the mental health workforce that has diminished because of inadequate support;

  3. Confronting the harmful intersections between mental health and the criminal justice system to connect New Yorkers with appropriate care; and

  4. Bolstering public awareness of care resources and improved interagency coordination.

The WSA has spoken with District 3 Councilmember Erik Bottcher about working with him to support his Roadmap efforts, and more details will follow in the next newsletter. 

June Primary Election 

New Year, New District 

Due to redistricting stemming from the 2020 Census, the Washington Square neighborhood now comprises District 2 (formerly District 1) & District 3, with Washington Square Park in District 2. New District Maps

Key Election Dates

  • Monday, June 12: Last day to request your absentee ballot online or by mail.  

  • Saturday, June 17: Last day to register as a voter, or to update your address, for the June primary.

  • Saturday, June 17 - Sunday, June 25: EARLY VOTING

  • Tuesday, June 27: PRIMARY ELECTION -Polls are open from 6am to 9pm.

The general election will be held on Tuesday, November 7.

On The Ballot (for Districts 2 & 3)

City Council Candidates

District 2: Carlina Rivera & Allie Ryan

District 3: There will be no Primary election (which occurs when only one candidate is running per party), but there will be a general election for this seat in November. Incumbent, Erik Bottcher (D), will be challenged by recent State Senate candidate, Robert Bobrick (R).

Judge of the Civil Court - District 1st Municipal Court District Candidates 

David Alan Fraiden & Lauren L. Esposito

Get Your Voting Information

It’s easy to find your polling location and/or view your sample ballot. Voters will nominate party candidates through ranked-choice voting for city positions, except for district attorney races which do not use the ranked-choice method. New to ranking? You can practice ranked choice voting before the election. 

Upcoming Community Board 2 (CB2) Meetings

 

Click here for a Full Community Board 2 Meeting Calendar 

Trevor SumnerComment