NEW YORK (1010 WINS) – Congressman Ritchie Torres called on state and city officials to permanently dismantle the open-air drug market in the South Bronx during a press conference on Monday.
In a letter to Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams, Torres called for the dismantling of “the open-air drug market that has seen a resurgence in the Hub of the South Bronx.”
Torres criticized Hochul, accusing it of taking a passive stance. “When it comes to the proliferation of open-air drug markets in New York, the State under Governor Hochul has stood by passively and done nothing,” he said. Torres claimed that the measures have been temporary and reactive, often spurred by media scrutiny.
He pointed at the disparity in how different neighborhoods are treated. “The Governor would never tolerate an open-air drug market outside of the governor’s mansion. The Mayor would never tolerate an open-air drug market outside of Gracie Mansion. Why should the people of the South Bronx be forced to see drug addicts injecting themselves with fentanyl in the presence of their children—all in broad daylight?” Torres said. “The people of the Bronx are entitled to the same standard of public safety and quality of life as everyone else.”
“A systemic solution requires not only enforcing the law but also amending it to the extent that the law itself is failing the people of New York,” Torres said.
He called for changes to bail and discovery laws, which he argued allow repeat offenders to cycle through the justice system with little consequence.
“Breaking the cycle of open-air drug markets would send a powerful message that New York is a state and city of law and order rather than lawlessness and disorder.”