The 76th Precinct Sector C held a virtual “Build the Block” meeting on December 15 for the community.
Sector C Officers Vegnel and Moet led the meeting in which community issues were discussed.
They discussed package theft and recommended Ring cameras which can help catch people in action who might be stealing packages. There was an instance recently when a Ring camera was critical in catching the criminal.
Robert Berrios added that Pioneer Market on Pioneer Street and Van Brunt Street accepts packages, so this is a place that they can be delivered if you are not going to be home.
Jerry Armer brought up the issue of the truckers leaving the holders for the containers in the streets for a long time. They have been seen on Conover Street and on Imlay Street. They have dropped off these holders for the containers all over the place including on the other side of the Battery Tunnel outside of the sector.
“They are a danger to motorists because you don’t see them and they have no lights,” Armer said. “They sit there for sometimes two or three weeks. They should be kept in the container port.”
The officer said they are aware of the influx of the holders for the containers. He hopes that once the truck loading depot that is being built next to IKEA is finished then a majority of these trucks will be able to park there (and the containers) will be able to park there instead.
There were bus companies that used to leave their buses on the street for a long period of time and arrangements were made to get this to stop. Officers eventually had the buses towed and now all the bus companies in Red Hook know not to leave the buses on the streets. Armer thinks a similar tactic should be done for the frames.
Another car related issue is that people are parking illegally on Beard Street between Van Brunt and the new Amazon building. This is causing problems. This is between Van Brunt and Richards Street on the B61 route.
It says no standing anytime because of construction, but there are people parking on the sidewalk and people parking in front of the M Fried display company on Beard Street close to Richards St. This area should be regulated more.
Armer said that this illegal parking occurs all day. Some of the vehicles are construction workers from the Amazon site and from other close by companies.
Berrios added that he has observed that the situation with the parking on Beard Street primarily takes place between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. There are difficulties making the left off of Van Brunt onto Beard Street. He has seen that the delivery trucks going to M Fried cause issues because they are on both sides of the street.
Officer Vegnel said they will speak to the individual companies and give them a warning about the parking situation. If they continue to violate parking regulations then summonses will be issued.
Madelaine Murphy addressed another trucking issue. There was recently a large truck that tried turning on Beard Street but it ended up blocking the intersection. It came out of Beard Street into Van Brunt and then back into Beard Street.
She was on the bus the day after and her bus went to stop in the bus stop and it almost crashed into the truck that was parked in the east bound lane. The truck was still there from the night before and it had nobody inside. The main issue was that the truck was parked on the wrong side of the street facing the wrong direction the following day.
Murphy added that at Hometown BBQ employees park in the wrong direction and they park into the crosswalk. The officer said they would speak to the establishment about their parking issues.
