EAST HARLEM — The NYPD is planning to deploy dozens of officers to East 125th Street in an effort to quell drug addiction and violence currently plaguing the area, NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton said Tuesday.
"125th Street, I think, has become a very significant problem," Bratton said.
“A lot of it is generated by the fact that we have two major methadone clinics in that neighborhood. We have hundreds of recovering addicts who use that methadone who congregate in and around that area.”
The unit will cooperate with the 25th Precinct and consist of about 38 full-time officers assigned to East 125th Street near Lexington Avenue, the commissioner said.
"You can’t, for a problem like that, fly an officer in for the day and not have them understand all the nuances of the issues, the medical issues, the enforcement issues," Bratton said.
In addition to methadone, synthetic marijuana has become increasingly prevalent in the area over the last few months, furthering the need for increased patrols, the commissioner said.
"A lot of it was being distributed out of the bodegas there. And that also was a significant factor of attractiveness, not only the methadone clinic but you could basically very easily buy the K2," Bratton said.
"I’m very comfortable we’ll be able to get much more control over that area."
