Council Member Sandra Ing led NYPD Commissioner Edward A. Caban on a walk down Flushing’s Main Street.
Photo by Iryna Shkurhan
Police Commissioner Edward A. Caban joined Council Member Sandra Ung on a brief walk through downtown Flushing on Friday, Nov. 3.
During the walk down Main Street, which started at the intersection at 39th Street, Ung pointed out several establishments to Caban. Ung mentioned that it was the commissioner’s first time visiting Flushing. But it wasn’t clear if Caban, who hails from the Bronx, visited the area before in non-professional capacity.
“Crime is down across all our five boroughs, but like we talked about, it means nothing to the actual person who’s a victim of a crime,” said Caban during the walk. “If they don’t feel safe, that’s their reality.”
Their discussion centered around two issues that go hand in hand: public safety and the crackdown of illegal street vendors that sell everything from live crab to winter accessories on the sidewalks.
“When you talk about downtown Flushing and how complex it is, in terms of the people walking, it’s important that he actually sees it firsthand,” said the Ung, who pointed out that the 10 a.m. congestion when the tour started was just the beginning of the congestion that swells throughout the day.
Not long after Caban left, an illegal street vendor who was selling fruit at the corner of Main Street and Roosevelt Avenue had stacks of strawberries confiscated by police after they confirmed she was selling without a license.
A spokesperson for Ung’s office mentioned that vendors, like the one who was forced to stop selling strawberries, often leave cardboard and other trash behind on the sidewalks.
Ung’s office has been working to locate an alternative space for street vendors where it doesn’t contribute to the existing congestion and create safety hazards. Setting up stands on the sidewalks creates a safety risk for pedestrians, especially for…
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