‘Plagued’: NYC forms task force to tackle prostitution and crime on Roosevelt Ave

QUEENS (PIX11) –  The city of New York is tackling Queens’ prostitution and crime problem with a multi-agency task force to address quality of life concerns along Rosevelt Avenue and other Queens neighborhoods, Mayor Eric Adams announced on Tuesday.

Multiple city agencies joined Adams to announce “Operation Restore Roosevelt.” The new initiative aims to address crime, clean up illegal brothels and unlicensed food vendors, and improve quality-of-life issues in Elmhurst, North Corona, and Jackson Heights.

“ Roosevelt Avenue is one of the most diverse avenues in our city — it is home to businesses from all over the world, and New Yorkers from all over the world live and raise their families nearby. This road should be the pride of our city, but for too long, it has been plagued by persistent public safety and quality-of-life issues,” said Adams. “To tackle these issues, we are launching a multi-agency operation that brings together more than a dozen city agencies with state partners to make sure crime and quality-of-life issues are addressed.”

For years, the areas of Jackson Heights have had an influx of human trafficking and prostitution concerns. Complaints about Roosevelt Avenue’s brothels and outdoor solicitations have only increased, causing the NYPD to raid storefronts allegedly being used as brothels .

Now, the city is launching an initiative to revitalize Rosevelt Avenue as part of Adams’ Community Link, a group of NYC agencies addressing quality-of-life issues.

“This initiative will ensure that no issues get lost between agencies and that we are all working in tandem to provide the people of my district with the safety and quality of life they deserve,” New York City Councilmember Francisco Moya said. “I remain committed to the Roosevelt Avenue Task Force, which will now function as a reporting mechanism for the ‘Community Link’ operation, keeping my office informed and focused on effectively addressing the right issues.”

Officials said the NYPD will be running the multi-agency operation.

The agencies in the task force are:

• The FDNY
• Mayor’s Office of Community Mental Health
• Mayor’s Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence
• NYC Department of Buildings
• NYC Department of Environmental Protection
• NYC Department of Homeless Services
• NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
• NYC Department of Parks and Recreation
• NYC Department of Sanitation
• NYC Department of Small Business Services
• NYC Department of Transportation
• The MTA
• New York State Police
• Queens County District Attorney’s Office

Different agencies will work together to clean up the area. The NYPD will handle offenses and crime, the DOB will enforce rules about illegal occupancy and obstructed sidewalks, and the DSNY will address illegal vending, which has also been implemented in the Bronx .

Matthew Euzarraga is a multimedia journalist from El Paso, Texas. He has covered local news and LGBTQIA topics in the New York City Metro area since 2021. He joined the PIX11 Digital team in 2023. You can see more of his work here .

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