Republican View: Roadblocks, crime, and decline

Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this column are those of author Zachary Winn and are not representative of the thoughts or opinions of Tompkins Weekly. 

Aug. 1 saw another roadblock on Seneca Street, conducted under the pretense of support for the Palestinian people. 

These unpermitted, illegal street takeovers have become a defining feature of downtown Ithaca over the last 12 years. I brought up this incident to both the Tompkins County Legislature and Ithaca Common Council at their meetings in the days following the roadblock. I invited them to condemn the roadblocks and ask those responsible to stop conducting them, or voice their support for them. 

Legislator Veronica Pillar, who currently represents District 2 in the CIty of Ithaca, responded “a permeable roadblock is not a serious threat to public safety.” 

Councilperson Phoebe Brown, who represents Ward 1 in the City of Ithaca, responded, “It was worthwhile to block Seneca,” going on to say, “I see nothing wrong with that. So Winn, I support it.” 

To their credit, despite how much I disagree with them, they bothered to respond to my concerns. The rest of the Council and Legislature remained silent, declining to address these ongoing acts of politically motivated crime. 

These roadblocks do represent a danger not only to the individuals blocking traffic, but also people in ambulances or those who may be transporting themselves to the hospital in situations where seconds count. The behavior is the height of arrogance disguised under the cloak of noble intentions. What is worse, the Ithaca Police Department once again served to facilitate the seizure of the public thoroughfare, opting to assist in directing traffic instead of enforcing the law. These roadblocks are also one of many reasons why many people avoid downtown altogether.

The decrease in activity downtown was detailed in a study recently released by the Downtown Ithaca Alliance (DIA). Business is stagnant with no upward trajectory, inching towards a breaking point. The study, commissioned with $50,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds, spent two years to figure out what most people already knew. The empty storefronts and graffiti are symptomatic of the broader decline that has occurred. Panhandlers and people pushing shopping carts full of their belongings are everyday sights. People sit around drinking and getting high while playing obscene music on the Commons like it is the living room of a trap house. Crack is smoked as casually as a cigarette. Public bathrooms have become increasingly rare as they often serve as places for people to get high and overdose. As a result, people are defecating and urinating in public, with the stench often wafting in the area of Green Street by the library.

On Aug. 11, another fire occurred at the Asteri building, again shutting down traffic on Green Street. Initially described as a fire involving a lithium battery, I’m told the fire may have had a suspicious origin, with the battery set on a stove’s electric burner before it burst into flames. The building remains infested with cockroaches, and despite claims by the owner Vecino Group that they will improve conditions, feces, syringes, trash and urine remain commonplace in the stairwells.

August also saw a series of thefts from vehicles in downtown Ithaca’s parking garages and area parks. These types of smash and grab, opportunistic thefts coincided with the peak of tourist season and the return of students and their parents. One high profile incident saw NASCAR driver Toni Breidinger publicly announce the theft of her luggage from her vehicle, including her custom fire suits she uses while racing. These incidents do cumulative damage to Ithaca’s reputation and further contribute to the decline outlined in the DIA’s study.

There has also been an ongoing campaign by Ithaca’s activist community opposing the FLOCK system of integrated traffic cameras and gunshot detectors. The system was installed following the designation of Tompkins County as a Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) community by NY state. The narrative around the opposition focuses on alleged abuses of the system in other jurisdictions and its potential for use in immigration enforcement. The GIVE program has dramatically reduced shots fired incidents in the area. The system allows law enforcement to track suspect vehicles as they travel through major intersections in the county. The system is a valuable tool and a deterrent that precludes the type of painstaking investigation that occurred following the murder of Alan Godfrey by William Marshall as police pieced together the path of his vehicle across town.

Given the tenor of responses by the Common Council and Legislature to the activists’ concerns, it is just a matter of time until the plug is pulled on the FLOCK program. Our local elected officials are experts at caving to small, hypervocal mobs and cutting off their noses to spite their faces. Public safety is a small price to pay for the satisfaction of smug sanctimony. Like with the roadblocks, your life is a sacrifice they are willing to make.