Tired, cold and fuming with anger, a band of East Village homeless individuals say they are being subjected to more frequent, unannounced and sometimes violent encampment sweeps by city officials and the NYPD.
“Please leave us alone,” plead unhoused New Yorker King James, a sentiment shared by many others huddled together under scaffolding on Ninth Street and First Avenue.
Those experiencing street homelessness tell amNewYork Metro that living rough in New York City is perhaps the worst it has been in decades. From beneath blankets and sleeping bags, the Big Apple’s most vulnerable population claim they are forced to choose between being violated inside the shelter system or, now, on the sidewalk itself.
It is the other side of an ongoing story that began last year when Mayor Eric Adams announced operations to break up homeless encampments on the city streets. Teams of NYPD officers, outreach workers and other personnel are often dispatched to encampments to remove refuse and offer various assistance to the unhoused — which is not always well received.
Last month, Mayor Adams announced the program, part of an effort to address the homelessness crisis and aid individuals with severe mental health issues, has been proving successful in getting much-needed aid and shelter to the unhoused. That countered previous arguments from other city officials, including City Comptroller Brad Lander, who claimed the sweeps were ineffective at providing permanent shelter to homeless New Yorkers.
Unannounced assaults?
According to those who call East Village streets home, New York City’s homeless are being targeted in unannounced sweeps, which often result in arrests. During those arrests, the unhoused claim, they are also being physically assaulted for the crime of simply being down and out on their luck.
“We got arrested again here because we didn’t want to move from the position that we are in,” Eduardo Ventura said.
Ahead of the encampments, outreach workers for the Department of Homeless Services-Department of Social Services (DHS-DSS) are to post notices to inform the unhoused of impending sweeps at least 24 hours in advance. Now, street-sleepers and advocates claim advanced notices are not being posted, and their encampments are being moved upon without warning.
“You don’t know what day or what time they are coming. It makes it worse for us because now we gotta be prepared anytime,” Ventura added. “Now they can come anytime they want to.”
DHS-DSS did not respond to multiple requests for comment from amNewYork Metro about failing to place notices about upcoming encampment sweeps.
Those in the East Village encampment spoke to this paper just days after Mayor Adams touted that his administration had involuntarily institutionalized over 50 homeless New Yorkers suffering from mental illnesses — a practice that weighs heavy on the minds of the homeless who fear they might be next. Even worse, they say, is the fear of physical violence during sweeps.
In one notable incident on Nov. 22, as seen on video obtained by amNewYork Metro, a homeless advocate who asked to remain anonymous apparently pleaded with cops to stop a sweep when he was shot with a stun gun. All the while, the person filming the incident could be heard begging for officers to stop the attack.
Police response disputed
Yet the NYPD offered a very different account of the Nov. 22 incident.
According to department sources, police were investigating a burglary in process when they were approached by the yelling advocate. Police claim the man attempted to impede their investigation by grabbing an officer’s jacket before allegedly attempting to kick and punch the cop, resulting in the man being tased by the officer.
He was charged with assaulting a police officer, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and obstructing governmental administration.
Even so, the video appears to depict a different account.
The advocate looks to be pushed before one officer can be seen aiming a taser at him. The next few seconds are not exactly clear as a scramble takes place just off screen when the weapon is deployed. As the man hits the floor, one officer can be seen kicking the individual.
“He just tasered him for nothing,” a witness could be heard shouting. “Now he is kicking him!”
Escalating tensions
Police also contested the notion that those living on the street are being targeted. Sources say that many of the sweeps are conducted as a result of community complaints and concerns with arrests being affected due to cops being assaulted.
Police report that on Nov. 1, cops were pelted with eggs, resulting in a criminal court summons.
With tensions seemingly escalating due to more aggressive, unannounced actions, those impacted by the sweeps are continuing calls for the practice to end. They hope the sweeps can be replaced by meaningful offers of supportive services — something they say they are not currently receiving.
“It’s very reckless and not well thought out. Are you sweeping people up and taking them to apartments? No. You are sweeping them up, taking them to jail, taking them to the precinct, letting them out. Then back to the same thing again, except now you just took every belonging,” Hassan, a homeless man said. “It is a war on homeless people.”
Many of those who live on the street also claim that outreach workers not only offer lackluster services, but many times they do not interact with the unhoused at all, instead letting the city’s police and Sanitation Department take charge in the sweeps.
“They don’t even talk to me, bro,” Kareem said.
