Posted on July 7, 2020 at 12:22 pm by West Sider
NYPD barricades across 82nd Street sidewalk at Columbus, photo taken July 6, 2020
By Joy Bergmann
For over a month, multiple NYPD metal barricades have blocked pedestrian access to the sidewalks lining West 82nd Street between Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues, a block that’s home to NYPD’s 20th Precinct and many Upper West Siders. More barricades bar members of the public from entering the precinct building without first being screened by an officer stationed outside.
The barricades appeared at around the same time protests against police brutality began filling city streets in late May and early June. The city’s curfew to quell spates of looting and property damage ended on June 7. And yet the barricades remain in place.
Some residents say forcing them to walk in the street is a safety concern.
“I have two young children and we have to walk into the street and back onto the sidewalk multiple times just to walk down the street,” one reader wrote to us. “It seems quite dangerous when cars are zipping quickly by. I don’t understand why it is necessary to have these barricades permanently blocking the sidewalks rather than leaving them on the side and closing them if and when they feel this is necessary. It’s only a matter of time before someone gets hit by a car because they needed to walk in the street to pass the barricades.”
NYPD barricade across sidewalk at 82nd and Amsterdam, photo taken June 5, 2020
So when will the barricades come down? WSR did not receive an answer during a visit to the 20th on Monday afternoon.
“You know I’m not even going to say anything, so. You know that already,” said Lt. Reid, the supervising officer in charge.
Who would be able to say?
“My commanding officer. He’s not here right now,” said Lt. Reid. “He’s out on medical.”
When will 20th Precinct Commanding Officer Capt. Neil Zuber be back?
She didn’t know. “I’m sorry. If you want to wait a couple weeks and talk to him, by all means you can. But I’m not going to give you any information that I don’t know,” she said.
An officer posted outside the 20th Precinct at 120 W. 82nd St. on July 6, 2020
A subsequent attempt on Tuesday morning to obtain information was rebuffed by officers stationed outside the 20th, several of whom were wearing black elastic bands over their shield numbers. Such bands, known as “Mourning Bands,” are not to be worn over shield numbers according to NYCPD Public Patrol Guide Procedure No: 204-17 (see page 221).
Some area residents don’t understand why the barricades remain in place.
“If they put them there for safety, it forces you to walk in the street. That’s not safe,” said John, a local. He pointed to the outdoor dining tables set up by the Flame restaurant on 82nd. “It’s also probably hurting the restaurant.”
A waiter at the Flame said he didn’t know why the barricades were up and could see how they would impede foot traffic, but, “there’s generally less people on the streets.”
A woman eating a sandwich on a stoop next to the precinct said she was, “a little bit concerned” about having to walk in the street.
Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer calls the block one of her favorites in the city and would like to see things returned to pre-May conditions. “We know [the barricading] was because of the protesters. I would hope the police would take them down. I’d also like to see the police go back to regular, parallel parking of vehicles in front of the precinct.” Some NYPD vehicles are currently parked perpendicular to the curb.
Brewer says she has friends living at 127 West 82nd, where another set of barricades stands. “I don’t understand why they have to keep going around those barricades,” she said.
Councilmember Helen Rosenthal’s office did not respond to requests for comment about the barricades.
Additional mid-block barricades near 127 W. 82nd St, photo taken July 6, 2020
On Monday afternoon WSR also visited the 24th Precinct at 151 West 100th Street between Amsterdam and Columbus Avenues. No barricades impeded pedestrian traffic on that block’s sidewalk. The precinct building does have barricades in front and an officer stationed outside. No one may enter without first being screened, an Officer Cruz told WSR.
WSR emailed and called the NYPD press office asking if a new policy is in place across the department regarding precinct entry, barricades and/or additional security measures. We have not yet received a response, but will update this story if one arrives.
24th Precinct on W. 100th Street on July 6, 2020
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