NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- Residents in New York City, including those on the Upper West Side have seen a surge in homelessness spike amid the coronavirus pandemic NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea told NY1 on Monday.
"If you take a ride up there you see a number of individuals, homeless individuals on the streets, there is no disputing that," Shea said. "We have no role in where homeless are placed but we're certainly dealing with the aftermath now."
Approximately 13,000 homeless adults are currently living in hotel rooms across the city amid efforts to keep shelters safe and socially distanced but groups such as Upper West Siders for Safer Streets are protesting the people seen apparently passed out on sidewalks, slumped over near restaurant tents or even with hands down their pants, allegedly committing lewd acts.
"People are upset and people want to maintain a perceived quality of life and I sympathize with them," Shea added, noting that a bigger issue is that many of the homeless are in need of mental health services that they may not be getting.
"If you take a walk around there, and I have, you're going to see a lot of people with mental illness, and the answer is much more complicated than writing summonses to individuals that sometimes quite frankly I don't think they even realize they're getting a summons," the commissioner said. "This is a bigger issue ... this is much beyond the police."
According to Mayor Bill de Blasio's administration, hotels throughout the city including those on the Upper West Side are offering services.
Project Renewal, a nonprofit organization says the Lucerne Hotel, on West 79th Street and Amsterdam Avenue has 50 staff offering counseling, medical and recreation services.