NYC officials say they're aware of teen takeover plans for Inwood Sunday
New York City officials say they're staying ahead of what's expected to be a teen takeover this Sunday in Inwood.
It comes after one took place last weekend in the same community after the Dominican Day Parade.
Neighbors are pushing back, saying the neighborhood has been neglected leading up to this.
In the aftermath of the Dominican Day Parade, cars were stopped and the streets were crowded in Inwood. A few hours later, a 23-year-old was stabbed to death nearby following an argument.
"They were dancing on top of parked cars. They jumped over into the property, my property," Inwood resident Julia Venuti said.
Video obtained by CBS News New York shows members of the crowd trespassing onto her building's property. Neighbors say the majority of the people who live there are senior citizens.
It's all linked to what's been considered a teen takeover in Inwood, and city officials say they've been made aware that another one is planned for this coming Sunday.
The NYPD said it is aware of Sunday's planned takeover.
"We will have a police presence in the area and will continue to monitor information regarding the event," an NYPD spokesperson said.
"What we experienced in this part of our community was unacceptable, was dangerous ... where our neighbors could not safely transit into their homes. It created a situation where there was hundreds of thousands of loss in property damage," City Councilmember Carmen De La Rosa said.
"This 'takeover' model that they're trying to impose is not unique to New York City or Manhattan," Rep. Adriano Espaillat said.
De La Rosa, Espaillat and others condemned what took place, saying it's not about demonizing young people, but to keep the city safe.
"It's beyond the takeover. The reason why this is happening is because of years of neglect," said Tanya Bonner, chair of the WaHi-Inwood Task Force on Noise.
Inwood residents said what happened this past Sunday was one example of what they've been experiencing for many years, saying their past complaints to elected officials have gone unnoticed.
"We have been asking them for years and years and years to fix this problem, to meet with the residents that are actually affected and to fix the problem," Bonner said.
"That's something for use to take back to City Hall and have a conversation," De La Rosa said "It is on us to bring back the feedback of the community and see what resources we can pump into our community."
Ana Inoa, who works at a deli in the area, says if the streets have to close this weekend to keep the block safe, so be it.
"If they have to close, they have to close, the business is gonna happen anyway. So I prefer that they leave it closed," Inoa said.
