An Upper West Side woman spent months recording drug dealer activity across the street from her apartment – calling the police and public officials about it on a regular basis. But the peddlers only peeled out after she shared her experience on Nextdoor, a social networking platform.
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The activity took place on Amsterdam Avenue between 94th and 95th streets, mostly between Chinese restaurant Kam Lai (708 Amsterdam Avenue) and the deli at 706 Amsterdam Avenue.
This went on for about four months, the woman tells us, fed up that despite her calls to the 24th Precinct, Council Member Gale Brewer’s office and the mayor’s office, the dealers continued to operate on the block on a daily basis. She believes they were initially selling edibles but had graduated to “harder stuff.”
When we contacted a representative from Gale Brewer’s office, a representative told us they had no record of complaints from this person. They did, however, tell us they received several calls last summer about drug dealing activity in the same location. This led to a Zoom call between Councilmember Gale Brewer, representatives of the NYPD and D.A. Bragg’s office, and the three nearby residents who had filed complaints at the time. Brewer’s office asked the constituents to follow up with them if the illegal activity continued, but they did not receive any subsequent reports.
It’s unclear if the activity stopped completely before returning, but the concerned Upper West Sider sent us many photos and videos which she says are all from the last few months. She tells us she sent the same files to the police, but when they arrived at the scene, “they wouldn’t do anything.”
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She added, “They are afraid to confront the drug dealers. Why are we paying taxes for salaries for police when they won’t do their job?”
Her reports even detailed what time the dealers arrived each day and which pockets they kept their cash and drugs in. She was also incensed that the owner of Kam Lai didn’t do anything when alerted about it. We spoke to the restaurant owner on the phone, and she said she can’t control the streets and who comes into her store.
The woman says the only reason she shared the information on Nextdoor was “to let people know for their own safety.”
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Despite the number of times the woman tells us she contacted the police – going so far as finding individual officer’s email addresses and following up with them – we only got one report when we reached out to the 24th Precinct: that they received a call on June 20 but that by the time officers arrived, the individuals were gone. The official response we received from the Office of the Deputy Commissioner, Public Information (DCPI) was that “The Commanding Officer is aware of community complaints at the location and is looking into them.”
The attention the post provoked appears to have driven the dealers into hiding or relocating – and perhaps that’s because it got the police to visit the site once more. Our informant strongly believes that community action is crucial to stopping illegal activity. “When a community bands together to avoid unsafe areas and to report illegal activity in those areas, eventually something will happen. This is not a struggle that one person can win.”
It’s unclear if and where the individuals are currently dealing.
B-R-A-V-O!!!!!!! You have accomplished the undoable! You have my respect, admiration and a drink on me-you name the place!!
Your tale is so identifiable it’s maddening ? We’re heading into another predetermined District election that all but ensures Ms Brewer continues her 30+ year reign on the UWS without regard for developing additional leaders who’s “inexperience” may actually read as:
-actual conversation and feedback to local pain points
-an attempt at representing the communities ideals, not their own agenda (ie-asking city counsel to PLEASE PLACE MORE SHELTERS IN OUR DISTRICT)
Our district streets are dirty and disgusting-filled with rats that destroy any car parked in 79th.
Every code and violation that can be broken is and no one cares:
-illegal construction outdoors with blade saws accessible to children walking home from school
-woman getting punched consistently at 79 & B’way
—normalizing shoplifting such that most big box retailers have abandoned the area or locked everything behind plastic
-allowed for selective ticketing by parking police since anyone selling food or fruit can park for free and even block the fire hydrants in front of a residential building and they laugh and wave it off/not so much for the rest of us!
None of this is anecdotal-it’s years of frustration with no one to address the concerns-so this story checks out ?!!! And gives me some ? ideas
You’re my shero today!!
Kinda makes you miss the days when Bloomberg was in charge. We need less pandering and much more responsiveness to the concerns of those who actually pay taxes on the UWS.
You do realize that Bloomberg was the one who waved through all of the construction for the onslaught of luxury buildings that went up, right? No, I do not miss him. He and his rich cronies can afford sky high rents, but the rest of us can’t.
“They are afraid to confront the drug dealers.”
If THEY are afraid, when they have guns, clubs, tasers, body armor, and the ability to call for assistance, what about the people who LIVE there and have none of those things?
Cops not doing their job because they’re “afraid” is disgusting. They’re PAID to take risks, they aren’t volunteers. Refusing to do your job should be grounds for firing, just like any other job.
They’re not afraid of doing their job they are afraid of the consequences of doing their job.
You people are complaining about police not enforcing the law, im going to assume (maybe I’m wrong, but I’ll take a bet) you are a UWS Democrat, didn’t you continue to vote for politicians because you all wanted to “defund” the evil police officers?
Many time when Police respond to public nuisance calls like this , if summons or arrests are carried out things turn physical. If a white cop has to get aggressive with a black criminal within seconds phone cameras are pulled out and that police officer is at risk of losing his job or serving time in prison. I don’t blame them for not wanting to do a damn thing.
This is the culture liberals created and now you see the results. If you want changes get a republican back in charge and clean this city up. Lock up the filth and be done with it. Let cops do their job.
Oh look someone who uses sound bites as “facts”.
“Defund the Police” is intended to reallocate funds to other departments more appropriate to handle social services like drug addiction, homelessness, domestic issues becasue the police are not trained to handle those situations and when they do, the outcome is disastrous. The police should be only doing the jobs they were trained for and not be untrained social workers.
BTW, 70% of the US GDP comes from democratic voting counties.
Perhaps not getting your facts from Fox or Hannity…oh wait…he was fired for lying.
What we see in these videos is not drug addiction, but point of sales of international drug trafficking (drug dealing). You see little bats and think it is a small business, it comes in to the US by the tones. And, poor thing, are the people who have to be around these people and inhale those fumes against our will because the police is not enforcing the law. It looks to me that the City administration is being run but drug traffickers.
Amazing. The NYPD are useless.
Welp, you idiots wanted to defund the police and voted in super liberal politicians like Bragg, so this is what you get! Why would they risk their lives or even bother, when the criminals will be back on the streets within an hour. This is the New York that everyone voted for so, enjoy! Maybe you can go purchase some street weed or god knows what else as well.
So instead of filming, just go ahead with your lives. Stop blaming the issue on police not doing their job, when you all voted for them to not be able to do their jobs. Congratulate yourselves on ruining this city. Let me know how the city is when the 800 immigrants move into the UWS. 🙂
Restaurant should be investigated as well. Suspect they’re getting some sort of cut.
What kind of clown college reporting… this is embarrassing. This woman needs to get a life and this outlet should be ashamed for even giving this the time of day. “The peddlers” like… really? You’re goofy. This is goofy.
I found the guy concerned about losing his source.
No, original commenter is right. The drugs aren’t the biggest problem in the city right now. Housing shortages and landlords leaving store fronts and apartments empty are the problem. Who cares what these people put in their bodies? It’s none of my business.
It looks like there is a lot of people getting cut of the drug sales in New York. Everybody knew those men were there for a very long time. They also used drugs. And, some places kick out residents to replace them with drug dealers.
Thank you. Victimless crime here. People who want to get high deserve to get high.
What do you think. they are doing there? There is no proof that what they are selling are drugs because the police did not do their jobs. If they don’t like the defunding get another job.
Leave Kam Lai alone. The woman who is behind that counter answering the phone and dealing the customers and the orders every day is a saint who they should name the street corner after. I was there last week and a guy came in just to propose marriage to her and he was only half joking.
Wow, imagine if the woman who spent all this time and energy on something that doesn’t affect her had instead spent all that time and energy on volunteering at a soup, kitchen or reading to blind people.
Right….drugs and drug addiction don’t affect society as a whole.
They literally not bothering anyone. Like if she’s the only one who been reporting it then I doubt they r shouting at ppl or anything. Also crazy y’all let her just speculate about them selling stuff other than weed. Like you have absolutely no way to know that and are just letting her make the most biased and unsubstantiated claims. Not to mention y’all can literally just check the data attached to the photo file or ask her to verify on the original on her phone. Y’all’s just lazy and judgemental w ur reporting at this point
how do YOU know what they are selling?!
Gail Brewer is so useless and yet UWS keeps electing her
There is some sort of Democratic Stockholm Syndrome. It is indeed bizarre.
Hooray!!!!!!
Drugs destroy lives Lives are valuable. If these idiots sell that crap to our kids and etc their lives will be destroyed Then we can all sit on the street .. I see comments about housing problems and hat the fact that there are housing problems is a reason not to stop drug sales That is so outrageous I can’t believe it is posted ! We should never destroy our lives even more with drugs DUHHHH plus drug dealers are dangerous unpredictable animals
Maybe the cops and restaurant owner are getting kickbacks from the sales.
Honestly the woman is a karen she have no life and she is making an asumption that its drugs she doesn’t have hard evidence or any real proof that video is trash lady go get a life.