Padre Plaza Success Garden president Mike Young and volunteers give away food and school supplies and connect their neighbors to social services throughout the year from the beloved green space on St. Ann’s Ave. But the community garden has been closed

Because there is no security in Velez’s building, people have been coming inside to shoot up. Drug paraphernalia, blood, overdosed bodies and feces are just a few of the obstacles the residents of the building have to bypass in order to make it into their apartments. 

Within two weeks of Raise the Age’s implementation, at least 39 correction officers and 31 residents were injured in brawls at Horizon, according to an independent monitor’s report for the NYC Department of Correction. The Correction Officers’ Benevolent Association (COBA), a major union, subsequently sued the state for permission to deploy pepper spray at the facility, calling it a matter of life or death. 

Last spring, residents of Patterson Houses in Mott Haven decided to invest in gardens, hoping that these oases will thwart violence by offering tranquility and community engagement.

The rally comes days after the attempted rape of a 82-year-old woman in front of her home.

Brawl between detainees leads to 20 injuries to officers Advocates for correction officers were joined are demanding that the city rethink its decision to move dangerous young offenders from Rikers Island into the Horizon Juvenile Center. At an Oct. 3 press conference in front of the Melrose-based detention center, theRead More

“We understand you’re doing the best you can,” one frustrated resident and frequent meeting attendee, told officers. “But all our resources are being sucked down the drain by this drug stuff.” He shook his head. “Our neighborhood is the hub of heroin; it’s Home Depot.”

Although a recent meeting between Mill Brook and Mitchel Houses tenants and NYPD officers began well enough, with pizza, pleasantries, and 35 participants, it was derailed roughly 20 minutes later after rows of residents left following a tense exchange between a tenant and the officer leading the session.