Additional police will be patrolling Highland Park following reports of teenagers hanging out and drinking in the area. Photo courtesy NYC Parks Department
Ridgewood cops have placed Highland Park on high watch after assembling a plan to have residents clear out by curfew.
Capt. Christopher Manson, the commanding officer of the 104th Precinct, said residents have been filing complaints of noise pollution, littering and alcohol abuse in the park after hours, and stressed that increased patrols will help change the trend.
“I want people to use the parks, but at a reasonable time,” Manson said. “I expect there to be a major improvement in the quality of life for people who live around the park.”
In order to meet that goal, the captain said he was increasing police patrols and sending officers into the park near the 9 p.m. curfew so those in the area are well aware it is time to pack up and leave. Those warning patrols will really pick up as the weather gets warmer around March, Manson said.
The precinct will also be getting help from its auxiliary officers who live around the park and have been keeping a close watch, the captain said.
What prompted the patrols was a string of resident complaints from those living around the park, the precinct said. Manson said groups of teenagers were spotted playing loud music and drinking there after dark, even through the winter temperatures.
“In years past, the party continued,” he said. “We’re not going to let it continue anymore.”
Highland Park is a large piece of open space with trails and fields that span the Brooklyn-Queens border. The 104th Precinct has been working closely with the 75th Precinct in Brooklyn to make sure the park is kept clean and safe, and their numbers have shown that, Manson said.
The NYPD said nearly 25 percent of all criminal court summonses have come from the area’s parks alone over the past month, with about 267 tickets in total. About 60 of those summonses came from residents not leaving the parks by the 9 p.m. curfew, according to Manson.
The 104th Precinct’s efforts to curb drinking in the parks coincided with another initiative, Manson said, in which officers have been cracking down on underage drinking at area bars and bodegas. Last month, undercover cops failed 15 out of 16 spots they had investigated, he said.
“It wasn’t the first fail for some of those places,” Manson said. “Two places failed for their third time. We’re going to close them down.”
The captain said the underage drinking crackdown will be ongoing throughout the year and investigations will be mostly derived from community complaints or targeting places with an already poor reputation. Cops will also be making sure alcohol is not served after 4 a.m., Manson said.
“It’s not hard to be a good neighbor,” Manson said. “It’s not hard to ask for licenses.”
By Phil Corso
