Bruce Blakeman pledged Wednesday to crack down on the drug activity and prostitution reported along Queens’ “Market of Sweethearts,” blaming Gov. Kathy Hochul and progressive lawmakers for policies he says have allowed crime to spread.
Blakeman, the Republican candidate for governor, argued that cashless bail and New York’s “Raise the Age” law have helped gangs, including immigrant-based criminal networks, operate along Roosevelt Avenue for years. He said residents have been left fearful while state officials fail to respond.
“There was a time in this community when you didn’t have to worry about walking around at 10 or 11 o’clock at night,” Blakeman said during a news conference on the troubled stretch. “This was a fun, vibrant, energetic community, and it still is, but it’s being destroyed by politicians who have ignored the people.”
The Nassau County executive accused elected officials of appearing in the neighborhood during campaign season and then disappearing afterward. He pointed to the reported presence of gangs such as Tren de Aragua, MS-13 and Triads, saying they are exploiting local communities and holding Hochul accountable.
Roosevelt Avenue has faced years of complaints involving street prostitution, drug sales and widespread shoplifting. The problems have drawn renewed attention amid the arrival of large numbers of migrants in New York City, including people who entered the country illegally.
Although authorities have conducted raids and local officials have repeatedly called for action, residents say criminal activity continues along the heavily traveled corridor.
New York’s bail reform law, which generally limits when judges can impose bail, has become a central target for Blakeman and other critics who say repeat offenders are quickly released and return to the streets. The “Raise the Age” law also gives many defendants up to age 19 treatment through the juvenile justice system.
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Blakeman, who is set to face Democratic incumbent Hochul on the November 3 ballot as she seeks a second four-year term, also criticized Mayor Zohran Mamdani. He claimed the mayor has made enforcement more difficult by restricting police efforts and leaving key city positions unfilled.
“Governor Hochul and Zohran Mamdani will not protect you,” Blakeman said. “As governor, I will.”
Several frustrated Roosevelt Avenue residents joined Blakeman at Wednesday’s press conference.
Toni Diaz, a 65-year-old retired teacher and neighborhood activist who has lived in the area for more than five decades, said she is afraid to walk alone. “So many people in our communities feel like prisoners in our own neighborhood,” she said, adding that the area needs a stronger police presence.
Charles Castro, another longtime resident, said he has never seen conditions along the avenue deteriorate so severely.
“I’ve never seen anything so bad,” Castro said, alleging that people can obtain fraudulent documents, including passports and green cards, in the area. He also claimed that women are being trafficked there.
Castro said drug use is visible on the streets, describing people as appearing heavily intoxicated. He recalled that conditions improved when the governor deployed state troopers for 90 days, but said the problems returned after they were withdrawn.