six men who were playing chess in a park in upper Manhattan. Because the men were not accompanying a child under the age of 12 they were in violation of a Parks Department regulation. The purpose of the regulation is to discourage child pedophiles from lurking around City parks. Though I think the regulation unintentionally targets too many people who want to enjoy the parks without any malicious intent,  this regulation could be used to clean up Park of America. Eventually two of the chess players who contested the charges had their tickets dismissed based upon a technicality.

Ginia Bellafante, a columnist and TV critic for the New York Times,  wrote an article on May 18, 2012 in the New York Times entitled “The Neighborhood Drinking Problem” In large part the piece focused on the growing problem of alcoholism in the Corona area. She reported how Assemblyman Francisco P. Moya of the 39th District asked the State Liquor Authority to conduct study of the neighborhoods bars. According the State agency Corona had the second number of beer and wine dispensaries in the entire city. Liquor flows easily and regularly in Corona, but this not news to anyone who frequents the area.  In 2010 this same neighborhood led the City in drunken-driving arrests. Ms. Bellafante  pointed out that the NYPD had designated Corona a high-impact zone, meaning that police are stationed at strategic points in the neighborhood. Assemblyman Moya conceded to Ms. Bellafante that 10 ten years ago the alcoholism was not the problem that it is now. I agree 100% with the Assemblyman.

Alcohol soaked men are visible either passed out on the ground or mingling in a stupor. The NYC Park Rangers who work in the park have to step over or around these men in order to enter their office. Mothers and their kids share the park with these men. As indicated in Ms. Bellafante’s piece the majority of these men are from Ecuador.

Assemblyman Moya and Ms. Bellanfante believe that the flow of liquor being served in the many bars and restaurants that dot the neighborhood should somehow be restricted. They suggest that NYC enact new laws to reduce the numbers of establishments that can serve liquor. Yet the men who are hanging out in about the Park of Americas are not getting drunk in the surrounding bars. Any reputable or seedy establishment would not allow these smelly and ragged men to pass through the front doors. The drunk men in the park purchase their liquor from local stores, better know as bodegas. I do not believe that this men develop their  drinking habits by frequenting the bars.

I believe that NYC has an obligation to make Park of Americas once again family friendly. Understandably, the police are reluctant to mount a clean-up operation in the park because of fear that the residents would immediately portray the legitimate enforcement action as “discrimination against the Latinos.” All of the local politicians whose districts includes the park should stop avoiding a confrontation with their Hispanic/Latino constituency over their apparent tolerance and acceptance of the rampant drunkenness in the park. The politicians should jointly request official police action.
Public drunkenness is an offense that can and should lead to an arrest of the offending individual. In my opinion the NYPD should periodically go through and around the park and arrest anyone who is drinking liquor or who is drunk. The police take similar action at other City parks. This approach to resolving the problem only impacts the offending individual and not the neighborhood’s struggling small businesses. The park is located in the U.S. and not Ecuador; therefore, local laws apply and should be enforced.