AOC, progressives ripped for ignoring 'Red Light' district as prostitution, filthy streets return
The red lights are back flashing along a notorious prostitution strip in New York City represented by progressive Democratic Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Grace Meng.
Along the crammed, grimy sidewalks of Roosevelt Avenue in Queens, sex workers are once again openly soliciting clients while vendors grill meats and hawk suspected stolen or counterfeit goods – despite police waging a months-long crackdown to stop the chaos.
It's become a way of life – and a years-long blight – for residents in the migrant-dense neighborhood who say they have grown tired of calling on Ocasio-Cortez and Meng to act and liken conditions to a "Red Light district" or a third-world flea market. Others have nicknamed the strip the "Avenue of the Sweethearts," given its reputation for women purportedly turning tricks.
Leaders In Aoc's 'Red Light' District Call On Kash Patel To Crush 'Worsening' Gang Crime And Prostitution
"All the criminal activity has reverted to the way it was last year," Ramses Frias, a local activist and Republican City Council candidate, told Fox News Digital. "Our residents feel like prisoners in their own homes while criminals walk freely, preying on helpless victims."
He said gangs like the 18th Street gang and Tren de Aragua are suspected of operating in the area since various spots are graffiti-tagged with their insignia.
Read On The Fox News App
Fox News Digital visited Roosevelt Avenue after Ocasio-Cortez's town hall last month and witnessed as many as 30 women on one block appearing to offer sex for money to Friday night revelers while parents and children walked by.
The women were jostling men and enticing them for sex despite a visible police presence nearby. Most women operate on Meng's side of the strip; the majority of vendors are on Ocasio-Cortez's side, with their district border running through the center of the street.
PHOTOS: Swipe to see more images
Hours before the town hall, other sidewalks were jammed with vendors flogging counterfeit Apple headphones and watches and tools. Food vendors sizzled meats at vendor stalls and kept juices in massive, unlabeled canisters under the gritty subway underpass – devoid of any labels or apparent sanitation or health and safety standards. Fruit and ice-cream stalls also permeated the busy strip.
Fox News Digital returned to the neighborhood on Friday and witnessed much of the same rampant prostitution and illegal vending. Additionally, several women were threading eyebrows along a sidewalk on a commercial street just off Roosevelt Avenue, while men were selling sneakers from cars and other food vendors were seen dumping wastewater down drains.
Residents have warned for months that Operation Restore Roosevelt – a 90-day enhanced police crime crackdown on the area which started in October – needed to be made permanent and that the warming weather would likely see more scantily-clad women appear on the streets.
NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Operations Kaz Daughtry told Fox News Digital that the boots-on-the-ground operation, which consisted of more than 200 additional police officers, reduced crime by 29% in the area so far this year and significantly reduced criminal activity.
"There has been a notable difference," Daughtry said. "Robberies are down 23%, felony assaults are down 33%, burglaries are down 47%, and grand larceny is down 30%."
Daughtry said he wants the work to have "a real, lasting difference," while saying that a lot still needs to be done. He said 15 brothels were raided out of 30 court filings made by the police.
Aoc's 'Red Light' District Overrun With Prostitutes As Locals Call Out Mia 'Squad' Member
For instance, days after Ocasio-Cortez's town hall, authorities shut down a notorious brothel, dubbed the "bodega brothel" by locals, which was operating above a corner store near two schools in Ocasio-Cortez's district. Video from inside the cat house obtained by Fox News Digital shows squalid conditions, with five cramped, makeshift rooms sectioned off by wooden panels and shower curtains with just enough room to fit a bed in every one of them.
On Tuesday, two brothels were raided by police on Meng's side of Roosevelt Avenue, the same block where Fox News Digital observed 30 alleged prostitutes. Frias said a large crowd gathered to watch the sweep, some heckling the alleged johns as they were cuffed and taken into custody while suspected prostitutes were led out with their heads covered in shower curtains to shield their identities.
Frias said the crowd reaction proved the neighborhood is fully aware of the illicit activity and is fed up, but that three to four other brothels are operating on that same block. Frias added that residents are terrified to walk the streets and would rather stay home than step outside.
"Our laws need to become stricter, and it's time to elect representatives who have the best interests of the community and its safety as a priority," said Frias, who's looking to oust City Council member Shekar Krishnan in District 25. He blasted Ocasio-Cortez in particular, saying she has never used her massive social media presence to address the dire situation.
Daughtry, too, called on Ocasio-Cortez and Meng to do more. He and the mayor's office said the pair did not collaborate with them in the police crackdown.
"Never seen her," Daughtry said about Ocasio-Cortez. "She's never reached out to us. We would really love her assistance to help us, but at the end of the day, we have to do what's right and restore some law and order back to Roosevelt. I would like AOC to partner with us... use her platform to help us get funding or connect women to services."
Aoc's 'Red Light District' Plagued By Crime As Democrat Who Helped Her Rise To Power Says She 'Disappeared'
Daughtry said issues like prostitution have permeated the area for decades, and he remembers it being a hot spot for prostitution in the '90s. He said the migrant crisis exacerbated the situation as many migrants were drawn to the area, given that it already has a large Latin American population.
Mayor Eric Adams spearheaded Operation Restore Roosevelt in collaboration with the NYPD and City Council member Francisco Moya, a moderate Democrat who has often been at odds with his party's progressive wing. Daughtry said Moya was a "huge partner" who physically walked Roosevelt Avenue with him and participated in raids, as did Adams.
Adams' office said the operation underscored the administration's commitment to "making sure these crime and quality-of-life issues continue to improve."
Meng, meanwhile, told Fox News Digital she is working with local law enforcement and Moya on the matter and described the situation as "concerning."
Ocasio-Cortez's office told Fox News Digital that she has engaged with local stakeholders in the area and helped fix lights in the neighborhood.
The situation on Roosevelt Avenue was not raised by Ocasio-Cortez at her town hall, nor by constituents who spoke in a question-and-answer portion.
Residents Andrew Sokolof Diaz and John Szewczuk told Fox News Digital outside the event that the Roosevelt Avenue problem is a long-standing issue and that local lawmakers must do more to address it.
Resident Mark LaVergne pinned much of the blame on Ocasio-Cortez for not doing more and said he felt many of the women were likely trafficked into that murky underground world.
"I feel very sad… There's a Dunkin' Donuts I frequent on Roosevelt and 82nd Street and I noticed that above that there is some sort of thing going on, and I see the look in the eyes of these sex workers," LaVergne said.
"I really feel sorry for them. Some of them are here, probably under difficult situations. Maybe they were forced here, maybe they're forced to do this kind of work. You've got to take care of the people that'll get you elected. I mean, that just seems like the most just thing. That's justice. Taking care of the people who got you elected."Original article source: AOC, progressives ripped for ignoring 'Red Light' district as prostitution, filthy streets return
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
38 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Obituary: Milwaukee Courier founder Jerrel Jones, pioneer in local journalism, dies at 85
Milwaukee journalism pioneer and visionary, Jerrel Jones, 85, founder of the weekly newspaper, the Milwaukee Courier and owner of WNOV radio station, has died according to a statement from the family. 'He was a mentor, a pioneer, and a beacon of strength,' Mary Ellen Jones, daughter and general manager of WNOV, said in a statement. Jones led Courier Communications Corp., which included the newspaper for 61 years. The Courier was founded in 1964 during the Civil Rights movement and desegregation in Milwaukee's schools. In 1972, Courier Communications bought WNOV, with Jones as the majority stakeholder, making it the first Black owned radio station in Wisconsin and one of 30 in the United States, according to the station's website. In 2013, Courier Communications bought the Madison Times, a Black newspaper in Madison. In a statement Mayor Cavalier Johnson said: "Milwaukee has lost a titan of local media with the passing of Jerrel W. Jones. His leadership of both the Milwaukee Courier newspaper and WNOV radio provided important outlets for news, entertainment and information. Jerrel was an engaged owner and community leader. His family, friends and colleagues have my condolences." A special tribute edition of the Milwaukee Courier is planned for the end of July and community members are invited to share a reflection of Jones. The Courier is the oldest continuously publishing Black newspaper in Wisconsin and has been a force in politics, culture and community since its first edition. Jones gave it the slogan "the newspaper you can trust" and it was a key source of information and commentary for Milwaukee's Black community. And Jones held politicians to account, even those whose campaigns he helped support financially. One of those was Democratic state Sen. Gary George, who represented part of the northside of Milwaukee at the time. In 2003, Jones supported then-Gov. Jim Doyle's efforts to expand casino gambling in the state that would have benefited Potawatomi Casino, and one of the major advertisers for the Courier and major employer in the Black community. However George voted against it. Jones was furious after the vote and the Courier wrote an editorial lambasting George saying he "has had the opportunity to represent his loyal supporters for a long time. It is time that he must go. His actions, votes and leadership are clearly in question." Jones went even further, launching a recall against George in March that year. "I backed Gary for 20 years. I've taken a lot of crap from Gary over those 20 years," Jones said in an interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in 2003. "I've never even heard of a recall effort where we recall our own. this is the first time and, hopefully, the last time." Jones led the recall effort gathering 15,000 signatures, nearly more than double what was needed to launch a recall and a month before the deadline, according to a Journal Sentinel story. Roughly seven months later George lost his recall election to Spencer Coggs. This story will be updated. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Obituary: Jerrel Jones founded Milwaukee Courier founder, owned WNOV

Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Pete Hegseth in heated exchange over deployment of Marines to Los Angeles
US defence secretary Pete Hegseth has defended the deployment of US Marines in Los Angeles to 'enforce immigration law', as Democratic


USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
National Guard, Marine deployment in Los Angeles costs $134 million: Pentagon
National Guard, Marine deployment in Los Angeles costs $134 million: Pentagon The revelation before a congressional committee came as Democratic officials in California have criticized President Donald Trump deploying the military over the wishes of the state's governor. Show Caption Hide Caption Anti-ICE raid demonstrators protest into fourth night Anti-immigration raid protests are continuing into the fourth night as the Pentagon deployed active-duty U.S. Marines. Bryn MacDonnell, a special assistant to the defense secretary, said the 60-day deployment is estimated to cost $134 million. Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-California, voiced his 'severe concern' with the deployment without consulting with Gov. Gavin Newsom. WASHINGTON – Defense officials said the Pentagon is spending $134 million to deploy 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines to respond to protests against federal immigration enforcement in Los Angeles. Bryn MacDonnell, a special assistant to the secretary of Defense, said the cost for the 60-day deployment for travel, housing and food is coming out of operations and maintenance accounts. More: Amid LA deployment, Hegseth falsely attacks Tim Walz over 2020 George Floyd riots 'What's the justification for using the military for civilian law enforcement purposes in LA?' Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-California, asked at a House Appropriations subcommittee on the Defense Department's budget. 'Why are you sending warfighters to cities to interact with civilians?' Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said President Donald Trump 'believes in law and order.' 'Every American citizen deserves to live in a city that's safe,' Hegseth said. 'We're proud to do it.' Aguilar said troops were seen sleeping on floors and not provided food, fuel or water from the Defense Department, reflecting a lack of preparation for the deployment. 'I want to express my severe concern with the deployment of the National Guard in Los Angeles without consultation with the state of California,' Aguilar said. 'Why were we unprepared to provide them basic necessities?' Hegseth called the criticism 'disingenuous' for a hasty deployment and said he was personally monitoring the mission. 'There are moments when you make do as best you can temporarily,' Hegseth said. 'We are ensuring they are housed, fed, water capabilities in real time – from my office because I care that much about the California Guard and the Marines.'