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Cop shack shock on DeBlasio’s block

Cop shack shock on DeBlasio’s block
Photo by Steve Schnibbe

The mayor’s new guardhouse has already landed him in the doghouse.

A mini-police fortress installed on the road in front of Mayor DeBlasio’s Park Slope townhouse is the latest in a series of heavy-duty security measures that has some neighbors eager to see the First Family pack up and leave already.

“It is an eyesore,” seethed next-door neighbor Lourdes Leong, referring to the security shack. “I thought he already moved to Gracie Mansion — why does it take so long?”

The Sloper-in-chief announced on Dec. 12 that he and his family would make the move from their three-story pad to the city-owned mansion in Manhattan, but has not yet declared a date for the big schlep, leaving neighbors to deal with frequent closures of the 11th Street block between Sixth and Seventh Avenues, a constant media presence, and, since Thursday, the loss of two parking spaces to the new hut. The space erasure worsens an already-nightmarish parking situation, Leong said.

The police booth is equipped with picture windows on all four sides and comes with a 24-hour sentinel. Security cameras also went up outside the DeBlasio abode on Thursday afternoon, according to another longtime neighbor who is less bothered by all the hubbub.

“In a way, it is a good thing,” said Alan Emdin, who lives four doors down.

Police headquarters did not return repeated calls for comment.

Reach reporter Megan Riesz at mriesz@cnglocal.com or by calling (718) 260-4505. Follow her on Twitter @meganriesz.
Look out: A cop mans the new security booth.
Photo by Steve Schnibbe