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Q&A
Council Member Darlene Mealy inquires about ongoing sweeps of homeless encampments
1:42:28
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128 sec
Council Member Darlene Mealy expresses concern and surprise about ongoing sweeps of homeless encampments in New York City. She questions the practice and its impact on outreach efforts and individuals experiencing homelessness.
- Mealy asks for details about the nature and frequency of these sweeps
- She expresses concern about the disruption to outreach efforts and progress made with individuals
- Mealy receives information from Jasmine Budnella about the aggressive nature of the sweeps under the current administration
Darlene Mealy
1:42:28
I just heard that the sweeps, I thought the city have stopped doing sweeps like that at tents.
1:42:35
No.
1:42:36
So you're telling me the police come in, like, Central Park, and if someone is living there for a minute, they sweep them and sometime even arrest them also.
1:42:49
Right?
1:42:49
And then it takes you longer to find those same individuals again and you have to start all over.
1:42:56
And if they just happen to go now to Brooklyn, you lost that individual to even if they were, making progress.
1:43:07
Mhmm.
1:43:08
So the sweeps are still going on.
1:43:10
That is concerning.
1:43:12
I I didn't know that was still going on.
1:43:14
So we should be addressing that just as well.
1:43:17
Do they have any reason why?
1:43:19
Just they say they laud laudering at something?
1:43:23
Because as I heard the testimonies, that's people's safe place to if they wanna shoot up, they do do it there because they feel kinda safe.
1:43:35
So what is the reason why the sweeps?
1:43:41
Do anyone know why the police are doing the sweeps?
Jasmine Budnella
1:43:46
I mean, this administration, mayor Adams has been pretty aggressive at sweeping, homeless encampments.
1:43:54
And so not only are we losing them and in contact with them, you're right, some folks are making good progress.
1:44:00
It's also incredibly we've been in certain locations for years, so we're building long time relationships, but people are also losing their documentation.
1:44:10
People are losing, you know, things that they've pictures of their families.
1:44:16
It's inhumane and brutal and very, very disruptive in people's lives, and and the administration is continuing to do sweets.
Darlene Mealy
1:44:27
I thank you for that.
1:44:29
I didn't know they were still going on so that's something I would look into.
1:44:34
Thank you.
1:44:35
We need that.