At the National Night Out Against Crime event on 5th Street

Photos by Stacie Joy 

Dozens of local residents turned out yesterday for the annual National Night Out Against Crime event that took place at 70 locations citywide... including outside the 9th Precinct on Fifth Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue. 

(Apologies for NOT telling you in advance. We wanted less competition for the free hamburgers and jumbo franks.) 

Guests included McGruff the Crime Dog — the original true crime influencer...

... and Fabien Levy, deputy mayor for communications, who handed out several neighborhood commendations (congrats to EVG regular Carol from East 5th Street on receiving one!).

The community-building event included plenty of activities and games (with prizes) for kids, such as the bouncy dragon-horse race that we were too tall to enter.

...and the aforementioned grill spread...

Games and food aside, it was an easy way to meet local officers and learn about available programs for residents... sharing information for victims of domestic violence...

Mass e-bike seizure sparks tensions and debate on 11th Street

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

In a coordinated enforcement effort yesterday afternoon, NYPD officers and Sanitation workers impounded dozens of e-bikes, mopeds, and bicycles from 11th Street between Avenue A and First Avenue.

The action, which began around noon and wrapped up by 3 p.m., took place on a day when the heat index hit 100 degrees and came amid mounting tensions over how public space is shared along this corridor.

Bikes locked to poles and scaffolding were cut free with power tools and loaded into NYPD vehicles. Personal items — including food delivery bags, folding chairs, and other belongings — were discarded.

 

The block was closed to vehicle traffic for the duration of the operation.

Nearby, the longtime food truck stationed at the southeast corner of 11th Street and First Avenue was asked to relocate. It moved across the avenue, and the corner space will now be used as a designated corral for legal bike parking.

A surge in complaints

The sweep followed a stretch of recent signage posted along the block announcing the scheduled "cleanup," part of a joint initiative by the 9th Precinct and the Department of Sanitation. 

Officials said the enforcement is a response to a surge in community complaints about noise, congestion, and food waste stemming from the block's unofficial use as a waiting and staging area for e-bike delivery workers (aka, deliveristas). Quality-of-life issues have been regularly mentioned at 9th Precinct Community Council meetings.

The area, particularly the sidewalk in front of the under-renovation Madina Masjid Islamic Council of America on the northeast corner, one of the city's oldest mosques, has become a gathering spot for the workers due to its central location and availability of curb space. 

Hector, a building super on the block, said the bikes often block access to trash bins and attract rats due to leftover food containers. 

"We can't get through some days," he said.

A mixed reaction

The enforcement action drew sharply mixed reactions. Some neighbors expressed gratitude to the police for "cleaning up the block." Others shouted at officers and tried to stop the bikes from being taken. 

A few residents translated information into French for West African delivery workers, many of whom were caught off guard. (The NYPD posted multiple flyers along here on Friday.)

"We don't sell drugs — we deliver food," said one delivery worker, declining to give his name. "We work hard. We buy a $2,000 bike, and they take it from us. How do we work now?" 

Said one officer: "We spoke to the community, we spoke to Joco [which provides e-bikes to delivery workers], we spoke directly to the delivery workers. We put up signs in multiple languages. This is community policing. This is not just us being the big, bad police." 

Tensions boiled over at times, with some skirmishes occurring among residents, law enforcement, sanitation, and the bike owners. 

One woman walking by screamed at the police, "Why?! Why are you harming them? Why are you taking their means for work?"

One sanitation worker looked at me ruefully and said, "This is the worst part of the job."

Police confirmed that no criminal summonses were issued, though some sanitation code violations may be forthcoming. 

All bikes were tagged and vouchered and are being held at the 9th Precinct for 30 days. A receipt or other proof of ownership is required to reclaim a bike. Officers stressed that no immigration documents are needed and that immigration status is not being checked.

Delivery workers insist they've taken steps to keep the area clean and orderly, but say they need somewhere to rest between jobs. Police maintain the broader goal is to balance the needs of workers, residents, and businesses in an increasingly crowded corridor. 

"This is not a one-time sweep," said one law enforcement source. "We'll continue to assess and enforce as needed. We're looking for a lasting solution."

All sides seemed to agree on one thing: This is a problem without a clear-cut solution.

Previously on EV Grieve: 

• Cleanup planned for E-bike hub on 11th Street following spike in complaints

[Updated] Wrong-way chase ends in crash, arrest on 3rd Street

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

A high-speed police pursuit ended in a dramatic crash and arrest on Third Street late yesterday afternoon, after a vehicle turned the wrong way off of Avenue C and was rammed by pursuing officers. 

Multiple witnesses described seeing law enforcement, including state police serving as backup, quickly apprehend at least one suspect. Two men were believed to be in the vehicle.

According to law enforcement officials, the NYPD's Narcotics Unit made the arrest. The suspect, a 39-year-old male, was said to be well-known to the Narco Unit and had several prior arrests for possession of drugs. Police sources said the suspect had a loaded firearm and unspecified drugs at the time of the arrest. (Updated: Police identified the suspect as Solne Martinez, an East Village resident.)

The suspect's vehicle collided with another car belonging to a physician from the RYAN/NENA health center between Avenue C and Avenue D. 

The doctor was not inside at the time. "I spoke to the police, I was not in the car when it happened," he said.

The incident occurred outside Loisaida Drugs and Surgical at 273 E. Third St., just east of Avenue C. A pharmacist, who declined to give his name, said he came outside after hearing the crash. 

"I saw the police and the driver putting his hands up. They cuffed him," he said. "The passenger had a gun — I could see the gun. I did not see them arrest the passenger, only the driver." 

Another local worker witnessed the scene as well. "It was a brownish-tan gun. Law enforcement arrested the driver and put the gun on the hood of the car. I took a picture of the guy, and he flipped me off." 

One bystander described seeing officers "T-bone the guy" after a chase down Third Street, noting that police removed a duffle bag from the vehicle's trunk after the arrest. 

At least one other vehicle at the scene sustained a broken window, though it's unclear how it happened. Photos show law enforcement conducting a fingerprinting procedure using Cyanoacrylate (superglue) solution.

A pedestrian sustained minor injuries during the chase and was taken to the hospital. She is expected to recover. 

It was not immediately clear where the chase started.

This is a developing story, and authorities are expected to release more details soon. Some elements of the account may be updated as new information becomes available.

Cleanup planned for E-bike hub on 11th Street following spike in complaints

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

Signage recently went along 11th Street between Avenue A and First Avenue, announcing a scheduled cleanup of the heavily trafficked e-bike, moped and bicycle area. 

The effort — slated to begin today — is a joint initiative by the 9th Precinct and the Department of Sanitation, prompted by a surge in community complaints. 

The block is a popular spot for e-bike delivery workers to gather as they wait to fulfill deliveries, in part given the proximity of the under-renovation Madina Masjid Islamic Council of America, one of the city's most prominent mosques, founded in 1976. 

The signs, posted in English, Spanish, Arabic, French, and Wolof, notify residents and delivery workers that any bikes not moved by the cleanup date (the deadline was yesterday) will be removed and impounded.

According to residents and local officials, complaints about congestion, noise, and sanitation issues tied to the unofficial parking and staging area have intensified in recent months. The issue has become a recurring topic at neighborhood council meetings at the 9th Precinct. 

Police say this is part of a broader effort to address quality-of-life issues while balancing the needs of workers and residents. 

While some in the community have voiced frustration, many delivery workers — aka deliveristas — say they've taken steps to keep the area clean. 

Several riders on the block pointed out trash bags and brooms they've been using to manage the space themselves.

They also spoke to me, stating they need security here because they say their methods of transportation for making a living are often stolen. Despite using GPS and tracking devices, they claim police are not willing to help them track down their bikes.

In past years, the Madina Masjid mosque has drawn criticism from local residents and business owners due to "cabbies filling metered spaces and parking in front of fire hydrants, in truck loading zones and in bus lanes" to attend prayer services, according to published reports. 

Parking for prayer services has been an issue since the religious institution opened, per DNAinfo in 2013. What was once a battle over car congestion has shifted gears — now, it's all about the bikes for some residents. 

Updated

Late yesterday afternoon, EVG reader Choresh Wald shared this photo, noting that the city added a sidewalk extension on the SE corner of First Avenue and 11th Street. The perpetual food truck here even relocated to the SW corner of First Avenue and 11th Street...

... but it had returned within an hour...

We haven't received any updates about an extension here... we'll see if we can get clarification on what's happening.

A new loading zone for the East Village

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

This past week, an attention-getting new No Parking sign appeared outside the 9th Precinct on Fifth Street between First and Second Avenues. The spot directly in front of the station house is now designated for "Prisoner Loading Only." 

An NYPD source explained that the space aims to "prevent an issue when a prisoner can escape." It is specifically intended for police use (sorry local residents!), facilitating the expeditious loading and unloading of prisoners. The goal is to have prisoners as close to the front doors as possible, minimizing "lollygagging" and reducing the risk of escape. 

Although there hasn't been an escape incident at the 9th Precinct, other station houses have experienced such issues, prompting this precautionary signage measure. 

Interestingly, while the space is designated for a specific loading zone, we spotted a marked squad car that didn't appear to be dropping off or picking up a prisoner. Our source acknowledged that police personnel will sometimes use it when stopping by the Precinct for errands. Officers in such cases are to monitor their radios to ensure the space is available when needed for its primary purpose.

H/T Carol From East 5th Street

Thursday's parting shot

Photo by Edmund John Dunn

The NYPD floodlight tower in action on the SW corner of 14th Street at Avenue A... one of two towers to arrive on the block after the fatal stabbing late Sunday afternoon. 

More background here.

[Updated] When a Dodge Charger drove down the sidewalk on 2nd Street during a high-speed chase

With reporting by Stacie Joy 

Updated below with info from the NYPD

We heard about a high-speed car chase through parts of the East Village today just after noon. We haven't been able to piece it all together just yet. 

We received reader reports of a Dodge Charger tearing down Second Avenue, turning on Second Street, and driving up on the sidewalk on the south side of the street to avoid the vehicles stopped at the light.

The car exits the sidewalk, sending pedestrians scurrying, crossing First Avenue, and heading the wrong way eastbound on Second Street. There is one eyewitness report of the driver abruptly abandoning the car on Avenue C, sparking a foot chase.

A TikTok user captured 11 seconds of the chase from the SE corner of First Avenue and Second Street. (Unfortunately, the embed code isn't working. The link is here.) 

[Updated] 

The clip is now on Instagram, too...

 

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A second clip includes an ending showing the NYPD towing the car on the Lower East Side. There is no word yet on what happened to the driver (and any occupants in the vehicle).

 

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We reached out to the NYPD for more information about what transpired today... (see below)

Two NYPD sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak about the case, told EVG's Stacie Joy that the driver "stole" his own car from the impound lot in Brooklyn. 

Officers spotted the car in the 5th Precinct, which serves Little Italy, Chinatown and the Bowery. The car continued into the 9th Precinct and the 7th Precinct before the driver was apprehended with assistance from the NYPD Aviation Unit back in the 5th Precinct. 

The chase remains under investigation, and the sources said the narrative could change.

At NYU, 'Gaza Solidarity Encampment' leads to arrests of over 150 people

Photos yesterday by Daniel Efram 

According to published reports, the NYPD arrested some 150 people last night at the site of the "Gaza Solidarity Encampment" that a few dozen NYU students set up early yesterday morning at Gould Plaza on the school's main campus.

The numbers at the encampment grew to several hundred during the day. 

As the Associated Press reported: "The school said it warned the crowd to leave, then called in the police after the scene became disorderly and the university said it learned of reports of 'intimidating chants and several antisemitic incidents.'" 

Officers in riot gear began making arrests around 8:30 p.m., per media accounts and bystanders. 

NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Operations Kaz Daughtry posted this statement to X...

Earlier today, the NYPD received the attached letter from NYU — detailing a request to clear Gould Plaza of individuals who were refusing to comply with repeated requests to disperse. They were described as “interfering with the safety and security of our community.” Our… pic.twitter.com/oA758efW74

— NYPD Deputy Commissioner, Operations Kaz Daughtry (@NYPDDaughtry) April 23, 2024

EVG regular Daniel Efram shared these photos from last evening...

Those arrested included students and faculty. 

"It's a really outrageous crackdown by the university to allow the police to arrest students on our own campus,” NYU law student Byul Yoon told the AP. "Antisemitism is never ok. That's absolutely not what we stand for and that's why there are so many Jewish comrades that are here with us today." 

NYU's independent student newspaper, Washington Square News, reported that after the arrests, some 100 people protested outside 1 Police Plaza.

Read more of their coverage here. 

Meanwhile, at Columbia, the university's campus "has become the epicenter of the unrest in the U.S.," per Axios.

A new CO at the 9th

Image via @NYPD9Pct

Capt. Pamela Jeronimo is the new commanding officer of the 9th Precinct... which made the announcement over the weekend...

We would like to introduce you to our new CO, Captain Jeronimo. Captain Jeronimo is coming with a great wealth of experience. Captain Jeronimo is also a licensed attorney. We welcome her to our great community!! pic.twitter.com/FqzctKAZ4t

— NYPD 9th Precinct (@NYPD9Pct) December 9, 2023

This also marks the first woman to be the CO of the 9th Precinct. Jeronimo, who has been with the NYPD for 19 years, previously served as an executive officer at the 13th Precinct in Midtown South. 

She takes over the 9th from Deputy Inspector Ralph A. Clement, who held the position since October 2020. Clement is moving on to be the CO at the 103rd Precinct in Western Queens.