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Parks Officers vs. Parks Goers at Washington Square Park
By
Jen Chung
Published Apr 21, 2006
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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By
Jen Chung
Published Apr 21, 2006
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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Will there be a showdown at the Washington Square Park dog run? The Villagers reports that parks goers have had some less than pleasant run-ins with the parks enforcement police. A few incidents include a woman being followed into the bathroom by male officers, a dog owner being somewhat harrassed for identification (after the dog peed on some snow which was over grass...but how would you know there was grass there?), and a permitless juggler being kicked out of the park. Wow, it feels like Giualiani-era NYC, only now the broken windows are everyday activites! The Parks Enforcement Police says that in some of the cases, the officers were new recruits and less familiar with how to deal with parks goers and that the police are trying to make sure things go smoothly in the park. However, one park goer tells The Villager, "“They’re trying to keep people from doing what Washington Square Park is known for — you know, the creative types. They’re just taking away the whole personality of the park and they’re being very nasty about it.” Yep, that's Giuliani-era NYC all right.
Have you witnessed signs of a senseless, overly aggressive crackdown in Washington Square Park? Or are there too many people to really notice?
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Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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