Village Voices

The bohemians get beat by reality:

The Sixth Precinct Community Council polled 600 neighborhood residents and found 487 of them — 83% — want more cops on the streets. Residents say the crisis in the Village has gotten out of hand in the last few years. And 74% of Villagers said the Empire State needed stronger prosecution for drug dealing, while 80% thought New York needed stricter bail laws, according to the first-of-its-kind survey, conducted in February and March. “The village is frequently criticized for being liberal — but clearly the numbers here indicate we’re not happy,” said precinct council member Steve Zammarchi. No place is more emblematic of the decline than Washington Square Park – where Bob Dylan used to sing songs about social injustice. Despite falling citywide crime, the green space continues to be overrun by junkies and dealers — and repeat offenders are on a loop – arrested, released and back by lunchtime, neighbors said. “Enough is enough,” said Village-raised Trevor Sumner, president of the Washington Square Association. “Liberalism is being challenged and people are realizing that our attempts to honor some ideals are leading to worst outcomes.”

Funny how that so often works...