One Brooklyn
August 12, 2016
“I am troubled by the sentiments shared by a number of individuals at a public meeting that discussed a proposal for an adult family homeless shelter in Queens. Homelessness comes from every corner of our city. We cannot accept any attempt to pit New Yorker against New Yorker, no matter how passionate we may feel about the quality of life issues in our communities. The select few who call out for homeless people to go ‘back to East New York,’ especially in the context of a gathering regarding a newly proposed facility and not a re-siting from that neighborhood, are raising a concerning specter of bias that must be addressed, be it on the basis of race, socioeconomic status, or any other factor.
“Few understand and value public safety more than I do, as a 22-year veteran of the New York City Police Department. Additionally, I have felt firsthand the pain and uncertainty of a family struggling to keep a roof over its head, and I know the power that simple kindness and empathy has for the hundreds of thousands of our neighbors battling to make ends meet every day. The issues surrounding homelessness are difficult ones, issues that require a critical balance be struck. However, we cannot strike each other down in the process of addressing these issues.”
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