Brooklyn’s Penn Track in East New York has become a flashpoint of public safety concerns, as an open-air prostitution market along Pennsylvania Avenue has drawn complaints [1] from local residents and elected officials alike.
Neighbors have reported a visible uptick in prostitution, with scantily dressed sex workers visible in the area, even in close proximity to public schools and family residences.
The scene has led City Councilman Chris Banks to call for increased police enforcement similar to that seen along Roosevelt Avenue in Queens, where law enforcement recently intensified efforts to crack down on similar activity.
“We need the same attention the police department is paying to Roosevelt Avenue, to bring it out to East New York… to help address the issue,” Banks told the New York Post.
The Post reported encountering nearly a dozen women in revealing outfits soliciting along Georgia and Malta Avenues, often beside city sanitation trucks and semi-trailers.
The interactions reportedly slowed traffic as drivers paused to negotiate prices, and some of the women offered locations for privacy, indicating the level of coordination involved.
Prostitution-related complaints in the area have increased, with residents expressing frustration over the lack of enforcement. “Had there been an early response to this, it would’ve brought the activity down, [but] it’s been allowed to fester over the last couple years,” Banks said.
He noted that recent legislation aiming to hold hotel operators accountable for facilitating illegal activities may help, but immediate action is needed to address the current situation.
Statistics from the NYPD reveal that, as of October 27, officers have made 18 prostitution-related arrests along the Penn Track, which include 12 for patronizing prostitutes.
This number is comparable to the same period in 2023, which saw 19 arrests. The data suggests a significant increase from 2022, when only four prostitution-related arrests were reported for the area.
The situation is further complicated by an influx of migrant women staying in nearby shelters, whom Banks and advocacy groups believe are becoming involved in the local sex trade.
According to a women’s advocate who requested anonymity, many of these women are subject to exploitation by organized pimps who control the area and even enforce their dominance through violence, with reports of underage girls being coerced into the trade.
“It’s all pimp-controlled,” the advocate said, indicating the organized nature of the operations and the difficulty women face in working independently.
Reports of violent turf battles among pimps add another layer of concern for local authorities and residents.
Banks noted that while City Hall and the NYPD have verbally committed to providing resources to address the situation, residents have yet to see a sustained police presence.
Although approximately 50 officers were seen patrolling Roosevelt Avenue two weeks prior, only two officers were observed in the Penn Track area on a recent Wednesday night over a span of four hours, according to the Post.
An NYPD spokesperson confirmed that patrols are focused on the Penn Track area and that the department is “committed to addressing the issue.”
City Hall spokeswoman Kayla Mama echoed this sentiment, saying that Mayor Eric Adams “has made it clear that lawlessness, particularly the exploitation of women, will not be tolerated or ignored.”
The NYPD has continued to warn potential patrons in the area, with officers in an unmarked sedan cautioning a Post reporter they initially mistook for a potential client, “Be careful. You don’t want to be in The Post.”
With residents urging action and local politicians pushing for resources, the situation in East New York’s Penn Track highlights the ongoing challenges of public safety and enforcement in New York City’s outer boroughs.
Councilman Banks and others remain hopeful that a more robust police presence will bring relief to the area’s families and businesses.