Not sure when it happened… but as of around 9 a.m., the tower is no longer in the Park.
It first arrived last Tuesday.
Photos via EVG correspondent Steven.
Previously on EV Grieve:
NYPD installs patrol tower in the middle of Tompkins Square Park (149 comments)
The Post reports Tompkins Square Park 'has become a homeless haven' (113 comments)
Observer editors write, 'it's time to take back Tompkins Square Park' (49 comments)
Petition asks Mayor de Blasio to remove the Skywatch tower from Tompkins Square Park
Parts of Avenue C and D now with a SkyWatch tower, additional NYPD lights
[Updated] NYPD patrol tower arrives on Avenue D
Flyers urge removal of patrol tower in Tompkins Square Park
Updated 12:42
The Post spoke with some people in the Park about the Tower's removal.
“I don’t love seeing it here,” said Paul Engler, a 58-year-old business owner. “I think the police were doing their very best to make sure things stayed on the level, but I’d rather see cops walking around the park. That gives people access to them.”
And…
“I didn’t give a f–k it was here and I don’t give a f–k it’s gone. It didn’t change a thing in this park. It didn’t slow nobody’s roll,” a homeless person said Tuesday. “It was all a show to make people think they were doing something. The same people they put that show on for didn’t like. They didn’t like to see that when they’re paying all that money to live here. So now it’s gone.”
36 comments:
Poor 19 y.o NYU kid, I guess she won't feel safe in the neighborhood anymore. Time to call mommy and daddy.
Thank goodness! I am way behind on muggings and it's gonna take me days to catch up.
It should of stayed.
GO East Village! Our protests worked!
Awesome. That shit felt weird. I go to the park to chill and relax, and it's weird when your view of trees becomes a view of a futuristic police tower and police cars. That was unnecessary. Thank you for your understanding, NYPD!
Many people have commented that police officers on bicycles or on foot would not seem out of place, perhaps stopping to speak with people and get the news from those who like hanging out in the park!
Those pictures of the day camp kids performing in front of the Tower of Doom were just too much for the cops to take. Looks like social action actually works. Go kids!
Thanks to all who protested this unwarranted invasion of our beloved park. These towers are typically used in high crime areas with gang violence and shootings, and also in Iraq and Afghanistan. It had no valid reason to be placed in TSP. Looks like the NY Post and Jared Kushners rag The Observer will have to come up with another trick if they want to privatize this park.
Futuristic police tower??? Where did you see that lol? NYPD Tweet Tower had the best description "A piece of sh*t transformer."
They were done photographing and storing the faces of everyone who passed through the park. Or they found whoever they were looking for.
SHIT!!!
That was going to be the central structure in Saturday's NYPost-sponsored MayPole In July Festival.....Tower Of Power was going to be there.....there was going to be an official attempt at the Topless MayPole Dancing world record.....DJ SmashTheState was comin'....Kita The Wonder Dog was going to lead a Piss-In-The-Park event at the bottom of the tower....and Ray's Birthday Burlesque Babes were going to do some kind of EggCreamVoodoo ceremony!
NOW what are we going to do???
Guess we'll just have to settle for a bunch of people, kids, dogs, crusties, bladers'n'boarders, squirrels, hawks and rats enjoying a beautiful day in the park.....UNNNNNsupervised.....
.....and together.
It was there to take up skirt photos of Booby Hill. They're work there is done. Visit their site at boobyhilltompkinshotties.com.gov.edu.org
It's still there! I can see it! I can see it!
I haven't lost my mind! I am in perfect control of all my faculties!
AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And yet no one bothered to ask Fashions by He what he thought of this, although he's probably out furtively snapping pictures of a woman wearing last season's sandals whilst thinking "kill me now."
Miss Kita the Wonder Dog was fully prepared to lead a Piss-in-the-Park event. She remains at the ready should the need arise. All love, Jose Garcia + family
So... What about all the cameras in most corners? My opinion of the tower is irrelevant as we are still being monitored. Daily, hourly, every time we walk outside. But where is the protest about them???
oh great! Now the drunk crust punk who slept on my stoop last night can go back to the park.
Well, I stayed out of the park for a week and now I can return. Psychologically, I just couldn't enjoy the NEW TOMPKINS POLICE STATE PARK with that ugly ass tower of doom hanging over my head like a permanent FU to anyone who wants to relax in peace. As for the other cameras? Whatever. If they had those and they are operable, then why did they need the stupid tower? That tower made me FEEL like a criminal (even though I am basically, basically law-abiding). But be real: THEY ARE COMING FOR THE PARK; it just won't go as easily as the others. READ: OBSERVER, KUSHNER, ICON, NYPOST and the rest: WE WILL FIGHT FOR OUR PUBLIC SPACE FOR EVERYONE, INCLUDING THE HOMELESS. THE EV, same as it ever was (in some respects). Memo to newbies—STOP COMPLAINING ABOUT SHIT THAT IS JUST CITY RELATED and rethink or reconsider, for a moment, what you moved here for. Surely it was not to displace a lot of the folks who were already here when you arrived, right? Stop trying to make this into your safe, suburban hamlet and using GOP trash papers to help your EGO CAUSE!!!!!
Here, here 2:12 PM!!
I avoided the park completely.
See ya'll later!
xoxo
At 12:52 PM, Anonymous said...
So... What about all the cameras in most corners? My opinion of the tower is irrelevant as we are still being monitored. Daily, hourly, every time we walk outside. But where is the protest about them???
Well, I did belong to the Surveillance Camera Players briefly; maybe we could start a local chapter, since not only does it seem the original troupe has fizzled out, but the message is more urgently needed than ever!
Bummer. No more hilarious NYPD tweets.
'City related'? Thats a good one. So crazy homeless, junkies, rats, degenerates- these are all 'city related'? LOL. Is that Bill Ds reelection slogan? Hes keeping it. 'city related'? Seriously- the people here who support others being homeless, mentally ill, addicted, and think thats acceptable need to wake up. Oh and having cops on foot in the park will be protested as racist, facist, elitist, classist etc. Why do self proclaimed progressives think its acceptable for people to waste away in a park?
I agree 2:49--and you can bet your ass that these smug posters won't bring a crustie, a drug addict, a homeless person into their own homes to advance their "social progressiveness" and demonstrate how compassionate and wonderful they are as opposed to the rest of us nasty cop lovers who love a clean and safe park,
Fuck those old days in the park--they were dangerous for real.
Where have all the towers gone, long time passing?
Where have all the towers gone, long time ago?
Where have all the towers gone?
Gone from Tompkins everyone.
Oh, when will they ever learn?
Oh, when will they ever learn?
The People have Spoken.
of course this happened in the EV. as others have posted in other comments - would this have happened in majority people of color neighborhoods? when more wealthy areas or more white people complain it gets done. if such protests had happened in say areas with towers like east ny or brownsville, would the participants have gotten arrested or have the tower removed? would anyone have tried for fear of the police? if they take it down here then they should take it down elsewhere. it reminds me of something spike lee said or has said - in past when he lived in ft greene there were issues, say with garbage pick up and then when the white people moved in there weren't. something about this situation feels unequal to treatment that south east ny and brownsville get that doesn't seem fair.
Sexy Police Patrol Tower in Tompkins for Halloween!
Sexy NYPD Tweet Tower!
In the South we have the KKK who wear hoods and want to create all White separate areas using ethnic cleansing through violence and threats of violence but in New York City there is a different kind of KKK who wear suits and ties and have the same goals. They are called Real Estate Developers and they use money to do the same thing. In reality the New York Klan is much more powerful and successful than the Southern Klan.
But would you bring home an intoxicated woogirl home, 2:49 and 3:51pm? Oh, wait, of course you would, that's why you moved in the neighborhood.
The people's voices were heard! Thanks to NYPD for correcting this.
Congrats to all of those who complained, irritated, annoyed, ridiculed, bothered etc. the police and others to get the tower removed. Again you have done your best to make sure that no New York City money gets spent on EV. Rather than accepting the Tower for what it was and decrying that yes, this area is in need of more/better homeless services and used the situation to get people the help they deserve (such as on site DHS staff), you have made sure that the homeless will continue to "rot" away while all of you call it a "lifestyle choice." Good one.
Anonymous 2:49 re: your comment
"City related'? Thats a good one. So crazy homeless, junkies, rats, degenerates- these are all 'city related'? LOL. Is that Bill Ds reelection slogan? Hes keeping it. 'city related'? Seriously- the people here who support others being homeless, mentally ill, addicted, and think thats acceptable need to wake up."
My answer to that would be YES. In what universe do you think that there are no "crazy homeless, junkies, rats, degenerates, homeless, mentally ill, addicted"??? I prefer to use kinder words to describe them, but these people are part of the human race. You may not see them in other places because they are forced out or thrown in jail in order to sanitize a community.
The so called progressives you refer to may not take strangers into their homes, but you can bet your ass that they give them food, advocate on their behalf, share some of their often meager incomes to help those down and out, etc. More so, they accept others and offer them dignity
Spend some time in the park engaging in a conversation with one of them. Smile and offer a "have a nice day". You'd be amazed at what you might learn and how it might make you actually appreciate the park as it is.
As for the rats, they are a nuisance, health risk, etc. I have heard that they are rampant so as not to put poison out that may sicken dogs and children. Hopefully we can work with the city and some specialists to solve for that.
Curious if anybody talked to any non-activist type old timers. I did an informal canvas of some groups of (not-white it unfortunately has to be said) long time locals and they were uniformly if mildly in favor of the tower.
Which made me think that the security theater and activist theater were a perfect match. Sometimes A POLICE STATE!!! to you is just police presence to people who have actually been here longer.
Me, I didn't care one way or another.
@2:35 AM Are you butt hurt because you're afraid people won't want to pay $8k a month for your one bedroom units? Boo fucking hoo.
Move to Montreal.
1:56-stop giving them ideas- Canada is great, especially Montreal.
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