Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg drew attention this week after being spotted at his “Art of Healing” workshop series in Washington Square Park, an area known for rampant drug use.
According to the New York Post, Bragg spent about an hour at the park where he was seen making a watercolor display of trees. The DA’s office has been hosting taxpayer-funded art workshops annually, with previous events focused on gun violence.
During the workshop, Bragg took questions from community members.
“We want to take back the park and make it available for those who live and visit the area to do things like the artwork we were just doing, you know listen to music, enjoy the park,” Bragg told the New York Post. “It’s very intentional to pick that part of the park which has had some challenges.”
But the timing and location of the event sparked criticism. Just prior to the workshop, police were seen attempting to revive an individual suffering from what appeared to be a drug-related emergency only feet away.
Trevor Sumner, president of the Washington Square Association, called Bragg’s appearance and the event “baffling.”
“The whole thing is an utter farce. To have the guy who’s most responsible for the rampant drug use, mental illness and violence in the park come here to gaslight the entire neighborhood like it doesn’t exist. It’s infuriating,” he said.
Also present were workers from the Drug Policy Alliance, a nonprofit founded in 1994 with major funding from billionaire George Soros and currently featuring his son Alex Soros on its board. Members of the group were observed distributing free syringes from their so-called “harm reduction kits” to addicts. These kits typically include drug paraphernalia such as needles, alcohol wipes, tourniquets, cookers, and cotton.
Charles Fain Lehman, a fellow at the Manhattan Institute, criticized the ideology behind the harm reduction approach.
“The idea is that people should only seek treatment when they’re ready. But most people addicted to drugs are addicted for their whole lives,” Lehman said. “They often regard efforts to get people into treatment… as actively hostile to the interests of people who use drugs.”
New York Police Department data shows that the area is increasingly overwhelmed. The Sixth Precinct, which covers Washington Square Park, has seen 471 narcotics arrests so far this year, up 68 percent from last year. Officers continue to arrest the same small group of drug dealers operating in the park, though most are released shortly after being taken into custody.
