As new curfews loom for migrant shelters across the city over concerns about crime and chaos, neighbors and migrants alike remain unsure what changes the new policies will bring about — and whether they’re needed at all.
“I feel that the issue of violence is not going to stop,” said Colombia Maribel Lopez, a Venezuelan who’s been living in the Big Apple with her kids for six months.
“What we need are more personnel to address the problem. But I don’t think the curfew will stop anything,” she told The Post.
The Adams administration said Saturday that curfews would be implemented at 20 Housing Preservation and Development-run respite centers across the city, expanding curfews already rolled out at a number of migrant centers in January.
Starting Monday, residents at the respite centers will be required to check in each night by 11 p.m. and remain inside until 6 a.m., with exemptions available to those who apply for late-night work, schooling, and medical or legal appointments.
The curfew expansion comes as migrant-related crimes have captured the city’s concerned attention, including a headline-dominating incident where a group of men beat up a pair of NYPD officers in Times Square in January.
On Thursday, a 15-year-old boy allegedly shot a tourist while robbing a store just blocks away from the other incident, then fire two shots from his handgun at pursuing officers.
Even before that, a series of brawls, stabbings, drug dealing rings, and crowds of panhandling migrants led concerned neighbors of migrant centers to ask their local lawmakers to take action.
Abha and Jay Jain, who own S&A Leathers near the respite center at the Orchard Street Hotel in Manhattan, said the curfew is “for their own protection.” --->READ MORE HERE
Workers at a Long Island City migrant center said they hope new curfews will help ease limit chaos at the nearly 1,000-bed facility – but neighbors have their doubts.
“It’ll make it a lot easier,” a security guard at the Austell Place shelter told The Post on Monday ahead of expanded curfews that will include the shelter and 19 others across Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx.
“It’s not just these guys hanging out,” he said, pointing to a group of migrants lounging in a nearby square. “At night they start partying and you know, getting intoxicated, getting into fights, damaging property.
“They damage businesses around here, we get complaints,” the guard added, claiming many migrants defy shelter rules and sneak e-bike batteries, hot plates, and kettles inside — banned because of their potential to start fires.
“There are about a thousand people here and we can’t stop all of them,” he added. “The battery will set on fire at night. That’s happened at three of the shelters I’ve worked at… It’s really dangerous. They’re not cool about it either, they’re very rebellious.”
Beginning Monday night, Austell Place and 20 other shelters across the city will require migrants to check in by 11 p.m. and remain inside until 6 a.m., with exemptions allowed for nighttime work, schooling, and legal or medical appointments. --->READ MORE HERE
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