Elected officials calls for ‘state of emergency’ regarding behavior of some homeless persons

November 21, 2024 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

Share this:

BATH BEACH/BENSONHURST —SOUTHERN BROOKLYN’S ELECTED OFFICIALS DECLARED A STATE OF EMERGENCY to address what they call the city’s ongoing homeless issue following Monday’s stabbing spree that killed three people in Manhattan. Gathering for a press conference on Thursday, a bipartisan group of elected officials sustained their fight against a proposed homeless shelter. State Assemblymember William Colton (D-47) and City Councilmember Susan Zhuang (D-43) led the gathering at the site of a proposed shelter at 2501 86th Street, with Assemblymember Lester Chang (R-49), State Sen.-elect Steven Chan (R-17) and community leaders joining them.

“The fact that a mentally ill homeless person with multiple arrests and convictions was still free in the streets is unacceptable,” said Zhuang. “Now, the city wants to bring this danger straight to our community with this proposed homeless shelter. Building more homeless shelters is not a solution to dealing with a citywide mental health crisis.”

Colton proposed a multi-pronged plan to address the issue. “First of all, if a state of emergency is declared, the state would be required to immediately create more psychiatric beds, and the city and court system would have to start enforcing Kendra’s Law … to determine if they are a threat to themselves or others and be required to accept appropriate treatment if they are determined to be dangerous,” Colton said.

Chang suggested repurposing Rikers Island to a shelter treatment center, “where we can treat them there instead of jailing them.”

✰✰✰