According to Frias, violent gangs such as 18th Street and Tren de Aragua are marking their territory with graffiti and conducting their operations openly.
After a recent town hall meeting with Ocasio-Cortez, Fox News Digital walked along Roosevelt Avenue and observed as many as 30 women on a single block, seemingly offering sex to partiers on Friday night, all while children and families walked by.
The presence of prostitution is hard to overlook, as is the division of responsibilities. Most of the alleged sex workers are found on Meng’s side of the strip, while Ocasio-Cortez’s side is filled with vendors selling counterfeit Apple products, tools, and street food, often stored in unmarked containers beneath the subway tracks. Health standards seem to be non-existent.
Even after months of police crackdowns under a special initiative known as Operation Restore Roosevelt, not much has changed.
“There has been a significant change,” he stated. “Robberies have decreased by 23%, felony assaults have dropped by 33%, burglaries are down by 47%, and grand larceny has fallen by 30%.”
However, even Daughtry acknowledges that the work is not yet complete. He mentioned that 15 brothels were closed following 30 court filings initiated by the police. Just days after Ocasio-Cortez’s town hall meeting, officers conducted a raid on a notorious ‘bodega brothel’ situated above a corner store near two schools in her district. Inside, they discovered unsanitary, makeshift rooms divided by wooden panels and shower curtains — barely large enough to accommodate a single bed.
Subsequently, on Tuesday, police targeted two additional brothels on Meng’s side of the avenue, on the same block where Fox News Digital had observed numerous alleged prostitutes just days prior.
Frias asserts that the issue is far from resolved. “Three to four other brothels continue to operate on that same block,” he stated. “Residents are afraid to even step outside their homes.”
“Our laws must become more stringent, and it is time to elect representatives who prioritize the community’s best interests and safety,” remarked Frias, who is contesting Councilman Shekar Krishnan in District 25. He criticized Ocasio-Cortez for not utilizing her substantial online platform to acknowledge the problem.
Daughtry also criticized the congresswoman. “I have never seen her,” he remarked regarding Ocasio-Cortez. “She has never reached out to us. We would greatly appreciate her support in assisting us, but ultimately, we must do what is right and restore some law and order to Roosevelt. I would like AOC to collaborate with us… to use her platform to help us secure funding or connect women to services.”
