On a gloomy morning in January 2024, a student was walking on Forsyth Street toward Pace High School when she felt a touch on her rear end.
“I didn’t look back and I continued walking,” said the student, who requested anonymity. “As I reached Spicy Village, I looked at my reflection on a car window to see someone following me and he was about to do it again. I told him to stop and I ran.”
She brought the incident to the attention of Assistant Principal Chong. He called the student’s parents and asked if they wanted to file a police report. The student was then taken to a precinct in the Financial District.
In the past year, this was just one of at least four cases of sexual and physical harassment affecting Pace students and staff in the Sara D. Roosevelt Park area and the surrounding streets of Forsyth and Hester. These events have left the community increasingly fearful as they navigate the neighborhood before and after school hours.
Samiya Cruz, a senior, was chased by a man on Forsyth Street during her lunch period in January.
“I started running and he started running with me,” Cruz recalled.
After this experience, Cruz emphasized that she no longer feels safe and that walking on the streets near the school overwhelms her.
Claudia Vega, a junior, said that she was groped on her rear end outside of Chopped Cheese Deli across from the school entrance in October. She stated that Mr. Chong filed a report and the man in question was soon arrested.
Mr. Doliber, U.S. history teacher, was attacked inside Chopped Cheese Deli during his lunch break. He had heard that there was a man in the neighborhood who was physically harassing people.
“He shoved me very hard while I was in the bodega,” Mr. Doliber said. “I am a large guy, so he didn’t manage to move me very much, but I heard later down the line that he had done something similar to other teachers and people along the street.”
The victims believe that those responsible for these assaults were either under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or experiencing severe mental health crises.
The incidents that have occurred around the school reflect wider concerns about public safety and advocacy in New York City, where residents have voiced their frustration over crime and insufficient resources in neighborhoods with underrepresented populations.
The pandemic exacerbated these issues, with many individuals resorting to open-air markets, illegal activity, increase in intoxication rates and makeshift shelters to survive. The open air markets vary from selling produce and clothing to drugs.
There are significant factors that could possibly be contributing to the broader erratic behavior and desperation observed in individuals harassing Pace students and staff. While the frequency of drug use or withdrawal symptoms has not been significantly changed, market disruptions in Sara D. Roosevelt Park may exacerbate mental health crises or provoke unsolicited behavior among individuals struggling with addiction.
The instances of unlawful activity reflect the city’s struggle to address addiction and homelessness.
“We see a lot of instances in Roosevelt Park of unlawful activity,” District 1 City Councilmember Christopher Marte said. “We’re working with our local precincts to make sure that the people who are selling drugs are deterred from doing that from this area.”
Marte believes that the city is not doing enough to provide for those in need. He states that those suffering from financial burdens and mental health crises are not receiving the proper support from the government. Rehabilitation centers and homeless shelters are ultimately deemed as “dangerous” by those suffering.
In terms of jurisdiction, there are multiple departments that control certain streets of the area. Sara D. Roosevelt Park is maintained by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. The area of Forsyth, Crystie, Canal, and Hester Streets are policed by the N.Y.P.D. The perimeter around Pace is overseen by school security. The Grand Street and Bowery stations are monitored by the M.T.A. Transit Police.
Requests for comment from the M.T.A., N.Y.P.D., and New York City Department of Parks and Recreation went unanswered as of publication.
The issue of public safety near Pace High School is further compounded by the police discrepancies in the area. While Grand Street station is patrolled by the M.T.A. Transit Police, N.Y.P.D. officers and even the National Guard, crimes are still being reported just beyond the station entrance.
Meanwhile, the nearby Bowery station – another station used by Pace students and staff – has practically no security at all, leaving it vulnerable to illegal activity and unwanted solicitations.
Governor Kathy Hochul announced that additional National Guard officers will be deployed to ensure better transit safety.
However, photos taken on Nov. 22 show the contrast between Grand Street station’s heavy security presence and the absence of security measures in nearby locations.
The uneven distribution of resources may raise concern regarding the prioritization of safety efforts and the effectiveness of current measures. Students and staff of Pace are vulnerable as the streets surrounding the school are insufficiently monitored and highly susceptible to crime.
According to Mayor Eric Adam’s December press release regarding his public safety strategies, his Community Link would “work to address the root cause of pervasive issues and deliver the resources and services communities need to achieve meaningful progress.” None of the targeted approaches includes the area in Chinatown or the Lower East Side.
Many may see this as inadequate given the urgency of the problem and a small amount of concrete solutions.
In response to the crisis, students and staff can agree that long term solutions require a more robust governmental involvement. Pace High School has included raising student voices and awareness in the Civic Leadership and Participation in Government classes.
Principal Glatz mentioned that the school is strongly affiliated with the officers of the N.Y.P.D. Fifth Precinct. Mr. Chong emphasized that students and families should consider taking legal action in any harassment incidents.
Advocates argue that the issue extends beyond school safety and reflects towards a larger systematic issue. It is believed that the lack of resources for addiction treatment and housing for vulnerable populations shows neglect from local and state governments.
“I think keeping our voices heard to all these stakeholders is the important part,” Glatz emphasized.
As the Pace community grapples with these challenges, it’s clear that immediate and long-term actions are needed to ensure the safety of students, staff, and the broader neighborhood.
