Overview

• Significant areas of Manhattan's West Side are plagued by open drug use and mentally ill homeless individuals.
• Councilman Bottcher's letter highlights the dire conditions in Times Square, Garment District, and Washington Square Park.
• Local businesses and residents report daily encounters with public drug use, violence, and unsanitary conditions.
• The NYPD is overwhelmed with calls related to drug sales, property destruction, and physical intimidation.
• Bottcher calls for the expansion of the B-HEARD program and additional social workers to address the crisis.