Recently, a food vendor was shot in Times Square. That could have been me. I’ve worked as a street vendor in Times Square for more than 20 years, and while the neighborhood has come a long way, the truth is that it is still not safe enough. If we want to keep our city thriving, we need to get serious about public safety in Times Square.
When I started selling clothing on the corner of 45th and Broadway in 1998, Times Square wasn’t the family-friendly tourist hotspot that it is today. Back then, the area had a rough reputation — people called it seedy and dangerous. As a former Navy airman and a veteran of the Vietnam War, I could handle the neighborhood’s rougher crowd — but many others, tourists and New Yorkers alike, just stayed away.
Over the years, Times Square slowly changed into a center of energy and opportunity. Stores moved in, the streets got safer, public plazas were built, and street performers brought new energy.
But I still don’t feel safe. In April, a 14-year-old boy was stabbed in the middle of the evening. In the past four months, there have been assaults, robberies, and shootings. This needs to change.
Working in the area nearly every day, I’ve noticed people turning sour on the neighborhood — there are fewer visitors, and more people seem on edge as they walk through. That’s a bad sign for an area that needs tourists to thrive.
So, what should we do?
The New York Police Department, the Times Square Alliance, and local elected officials are all paying attention — and their interventions have helped. But what we really need in Times Square is a local business willing to invest the time, the money, and the resources into a security plan that amplifies and works in coordination with the existing law enforcement and social services that adds extra layers of security to the existing law enforcement and social service presence.
I’m talking about patrols, security cameras, 24-hour monitoring, and all of the modern tools we need to prevent crime — plus the mental health and social services needed to give people a chance to move forward and not reoffend.
That’s why I support the proposal from SL Green Realty, Caesars Entertainment, and Roc Nation for a new gaming and entertainment destination in Times Square. They have a real sense of what’s needed on the ground because like me, they’re New Yorkers and they’ve taken the time to meet with me and my colleagues in Times Square to hear from us on what they can do to help.
That understanding and willingness to listen allowed them to create the best available plan for long-term security in Times Square. As part of their gaming facility at 1515 Broadway, they’ve planned an expanded security footprint that will help keep the entire Times Square district, and its neighboring communities safe.
The project will bring 40 new security officers out onto the street around the neighborhood each day, including off-duty NYPD supervisors and trained private security officers. They’ll also support the Times Square Alliance’s peer navigators who conduct outreach to the homeless and connect folks to shelters and other services.
Security teams would cover an area well beyond the location of their project in the bowtie of Times Square. Their protection area spans from 40th St. to 53rd St. between Seventh and 10th Aves., and they’re planning to have extra foot patrol during the late-night hours from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. (when I can tell you from experience Times Square sees the worst behavior).
Beyond the expanded foot patrols, they want to bring advanced security camera systems and 24/7 video feed monitoring — that’s especially critical to monitor for crime in real-time and identify perpetrators after the fact.
Only a partnership between NYPD and private security will give us the full resources we need to make sure everyone visiting Times Square will be safe. That’s why I like SL Green’s plan: it brings the best of the NYPD together with high-tech, private security.
I love Times Square. I’ve worked there for decades, and I hope to keep working there in the years ahead. It’s a part of what makes New York City great. But I also want my colleagues — and our customers — to feel safe whenever we’re there. To my mind, the Caesars Palace Times Square proposal is the best option to ensure that sense of security and help the Crossroads of the World thrive.
Jackson has been a vendor in Times Square since 1998.
