They want a crackdown on hookers — but not the ones you think.
The city must reel in fisherman dropping lines off of the footbridge connecting Sheepshead Bay to Manhattan Beach before one of the anglers hooks a passerby instead of a fish, locals warn.
“When you walk with kids and fishermen throw the stuff, kids can get caught. There are signs all over, but no one really enforces,” said Julia Mezbizer, who was walking over the bridge with her 7-year-old son Michael on Oct. 3. “It’s a big concern.”
Fishing is prohibited on the Ocean Avenue footbridge, according to several signs posted on it. But hardly anyone obeys the rules, and there needs to be more enforcement, a local pol said.
“I received numbers of complaints about people casting on the footbridge, and the hook is either nearly missing a person or a pet,” said Councilman Chaim Deutsch (D–Sheepshead Bay). “I enjoy fishing, and people have the right to fish — I fish myself — but safety is paramount.”
The 61st Precinct will patrol the area more frequently to issue violations, but a cop will not be stationed on the bridge, because the department has bigger fish to fry, said a community affairs officer from the precinct.
“It’s going to be a gradual enforcement — if a cop is in the area and happens to observe — especially evening hours. We’re not going to post someone there at all times,” said officer Sammy Shaya. “It’s a not a crime of the century but if someone is complaining about it we have to enforce or educate.”
Existing no-fishing signs use symbols rather than words to convey their message, but some locals think they imply “no casting,” so Deutsch is also asking the city for clearer warnings, he said.
