It happens in the shadows.
On any given evening, walking through Forest Park, illegal sexual activity – under the cover of dark, within the recesses of the trails – goes on.
“Where Park Lane South curves there are no lights, it gets very dark . . . That is a hotspot,” said Deborah Martinez, who lives in Richmond Hill with her husband Jorge and six-year-old daughter. “We sit on benches along Park Lane, and we see men in drag walking up and down.”
In fact, the men will often sit on the benches at the periphery of the park and wait for a “taker” to make eye contact.
Without uttering a word, then, he will go into the park and the other will follow.
When they hear approaching footsteps, the couples scatter.
One man approached Martinez, she said, because of her dog and they struck up a conversation. When she asked him what he was doing at the park, he said, “Honey, what do you think I’m doing here, I’ve been doing this for years.”
“You can tell they’re not runners or walkers,” said Martha Andrede of Richmond Hill. “You can tell by looking, they’re not here for the exercise.”
She continued, “Saturdays are a big day for them. You see it all year round, but especially during the summer.”
The local precinct, the 102nd, is aware of the ongoing problem and even has a number of officers devoted to patrol.
Captain Armando DeLeon, Commanding Officer, told The Courier that more than 100 arrests have been made, and numerous summonses have been issued regarding the illicit activities.
Martinez did acknowledge an increase police presence, and said that this, combined with the change in weather, has lowered the number of incidents he has seen.
“We’re doing the best we can with what we have,” said DeLeon, noting that it happens on both weekdays and weekends, no matter the season, though it slows with the onset of the colder weather. “When you see something for three, four or five months and it slows down and then picks back up, it feels like it never went away.”
In fact, Mary Ann Carey, District Manager of Community Board (CB) 9, said that the problem has been going on at least for the last 20 years, since she began with the Board.
“It comes and it goes,” she said. “It’s very difficult because a lot of the activity is male on male. The police are really walking a tightrope.”
In fact, said Carey, a few years ago, a gay pride organization picketed because of a crackdown.
Carey said the worst spots are around the Bandshell and along Park Lane South and Metropolitan Avenue.
“Illicit activities should not be going on in the open with children, regardless of whom,” she said. “It’s very upsetting for parents.”
“I know there’s drug activity too,” said Martinez. “The most dangerous part is the people who come here looking for action. I’ve seen Jersey plates here. Apparently this place is very well known.”
She continued, “My daughter loves this park, but it’s dangerous because you never know what’s in there. What if she falls onto the wrappers or condoms? How do we explain what they are? We moved to this area for the park. It’s not fair.”
Another local resident who sent a letter to the CB wrote, “I was mortified to be walking with my elderly parents through the park and to witness shameless acts of public sex.”
He continued, “As a taxpayer I decided to go into the Forest Park Headquarters to bring this matter to their attention and was shocked at their response, which was ‘Yes, we know, there’s nothing we can do about it, we have no money, it’s been happening for 100 years and that’s just the way it is.’”
“The Parks Department is actively addressing it,” said Carey
A statement from the Parks Department read, “Crime is down across the city and our parks are safer than ever with crime in parks down 36 percent this year. Within Forest Park, crime is down 33 percent. To ensure a safe environment for our patrons, we closely partner with the NYPD who are responsible for enforcing against crimes throughout the city, including in all parks. We encourage New Yorkers to report any criminal activity by calling 9-1-1, especially in the event of an emergency.”
“How can you cover nearly 600 acres of park,” asked Carey. “The police are doing the best they can under the circumstances . . . They do a run-through of the park before it closes [at dusk]. It’s a gorgeous park. I don’t really know what the solution is. It’s a shame to have that kind of activity.”
