Photo Courtesy of DA Katz
“We will put individuals on notice through this program that disruptive and illegal behavior will not be tolerated as merchants try to make a living and residents seek to shop or dine without fear or harassment,” DA Katz said.
By Forum Staff
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz joined by NYPD officials, members of the Flushing business community and elected officials last week to announce the Flushing Merchants Business Improvement Program to enhance safety for retailers and shoppers by discouraging unwanted activity in and around local stores. The initiative is based on a successful launch of the Jamaica Merchants Business Improvement Program.
Merchants who enroll in the program can notify the 109th Precinct when they encounter an individual committing a crime and/or otherwise disrupting their business. Responding officers can issue an official trespass notice to the individual in question warning them that their continued presence, or return to a location, can or will result in their arrest.
The District Attorney’s office created the program in partnership with the NYPD and the Jamaica business community in June 2021 to ensure that the community felt safe in patronizing local businesses hit hard by the pandemic.
A total of 25 stores, from mom-and-pop shops to large chain retailers, currently participate in the initiative through the 103rd Precinct.
Since the program’s creation, the NYPD has issued trespass notices to 23 people and only three of those individuals returned to the locations in question, resulting in their arrest.
“We will put individuals on notice through this program that disruptive and illegal behavior will not be tolerated as merchants try to make a living and residents seek to shop or dine without fear or harassment. This initiative will serve as a deterrent to those who have caused harm, warning them that their presence in particular shops is unwanted, unwelcome, and illegal. Flushing business owners, having seen the success we achieved in Jamaica through this unique initiative, asked to become part of it and we listened,” Katz said.
“This important initiative furthers the NYPD’s ongoing commitment to assist the communities and businesses we serve. It reflects the active listening to local concerns our officers carry out every day, on every tour, and the intelligence-driven strategies we employ to keep improving public safety. We are proud to work in unison on this program with our partners in the Queens District Attorney’s office. With the approach of summer, we know it will take all of us together — the public, in tandem with our hardworking police officers — to ensure we continue meeting the challenges we collectively face,” Deputy Inspector Louron Hall, commanding officer of the 109th Precinct, said.
City Councilwoman Sandra Ung (D-Flushing) added, “Disruptive people loitering in our stores and other commercial establishments in Flushing not only has the potential to lead to more serious crimes like vandalism and shoplifting, it also dissuades people who actually want to patronize those businesses from entering them in the first place. So not only does this type of activity potentially lead to an increase in crime, it drives away legitimate customers who fear being harassed. I want to thank District Attorney Katz for expanding the Merchants Business Improvement Program to Flushing and giving our local precinct another tool to ensure public safety.”
