BY THE VILLAGE SUN | Putting a bit of a dent in the narcotics scene in and around Washington Square Park, police have recently busted some dealers packing sizable quantities of drugs.
On Tues., Aug. 15, 6th Precinct officers spotted drug sales going on in the park’s northwest corner and arrested a man there allegedly in possession of 20 bags of heroin and 15 bags of crack cocaine and apparently some various other drugs, too, which a tweet by the precinct referred to as “etc.”
Another great drug arrest in #WashingtonSquarePark 👏 Our Officers are out ensuring the park is a space everyone can enjoy. Today we were able to arrest a drug dealer with 20 bags of Heroine, 15 bags of Crack, etc. Great work by our public safety team 👏 pic.twitter.com/5ly3g9fy3H
— NYPD 6th Precinct (@NYPD6Pct) August 15, 2023
Although not posted to the 6th Precinct’s X (formerly known as Twitter) page, that same day, local cops arrested a man for riding an electric scooter on the sidewalk on Sixth Avenue at Ninth Street. According to police, he was subsequently found in possession of quantities of heroin and crack. Captain Jason Zeikel, the precinct’s commander, said the individual is “known to police” but also known mostly for doing his business in Midtown South rather than Greenwich Village.
In another hard-drugs bust that was posted on X, 6th Precinct officers on Aug. 1 nabbed an individual allegedly in possession of 80 bags of crack and heroin on Eighth Street just west of Sixth Avenue.
👏Great work by Police Officers Rodelli and our entire Public Safety Team. Arresting and Recovering over 80 bags of alleged crack and heroin on 8th Street. Thanks to their quick actions the #WestVillage is a safer place tonight. pic.twitter.com/WVhJmuAeHg
— NYPD 6th Precinct (@NYPD6Pct) August 2, 2023
In terms of milder substances, the precinct continues to confiscate pot and mushrooms from illegal vendors in Washington Square Park. Although adult use recreational marijuana has been legalized in New York State, it’s still illegal to sell it without a license — plus, weed for smoking is not considered “expressive matter” protected by the First Amendment, like literature or artwork. Police are giving summonses for illegal food vending since marijuana is an ingestible product.
Selling marijuana & marijuana products in Washington Square Park is illegal. When caught products will be confiscated & you are subject to summons or arrest. If you are interested in purchasing cannabis products do so from a NYS licensed dispensary not a random person in the park pic.twitter.com/O6fvPBVYmR
— NYPD 6th Precinct (@NYPD6Pct) July 16, 2023
🚨Selling marijuana & marijuana products in Washington Square Park is illegal! Illegal products will be confiscated & you are subject to summons or arrest(see 📸 below). If interested use a NYS licensed dispensary 🎯 pic.twitter.com/Xc9VaiOSzJ
— NYPD 6th Precinct (@NYPD6Pct) August 11, 2023
Since this post says that expressive matter are considered legal under first amendment rights, then why am i being harrased on the daily basis by pep officers and cops from nypd 6th Precinct about a number of things, from display of pricing, table size, umbrella — and not to forget summons for all of the above, I don’t sell drugs, my medical art lasts longer. One officer even told me that im in the same boat as the dealers. 6th Precinct is filled with crooked cops playing politics.
Hey, Erjon. This is not about you. We live here. we have children. The neighborhood with the park as center is now a 24/7 hardcore drug supermarket. WE want the police. They are hardworking and put up with tons of nonsense from the arrogant entitled class (pointing at you and other so called “artists”). You are not being “harrassed’ — you are in violation of the laws. Any other time and place you would be in jail. Period. This is a post about drug dealer arrests (thank you NYPD). Honestly, your sense of entitlement knows no bounds.
True New Yorker: Spot-on, as always. Thank you.
Any chance that you could report on something other than Washington Square Park cop drug and pot busts and other crime stories since even the NY Post, which used to do the same thing about drugs in Washington Square Park every week for years, has stopped.
No, I’m glad they are reporting on it. Quality of life is far and away much, much worse in WSP since Covid, and the drug problems there spill out into every neighboring area of commerce and habitation. Addicts are everywhere.
Coverage of WSP is the main content I come to this site to read!
Not a fan of the Post, but we now read it for NYC news as the NYT has long stopped actual NYC news coverage