It’s causing a truckload of fear.
The city must crack down on big rigs that illegally park overnight in front of the Dyker Beach Golf Course, according to joggers who say the tractor-trailers create a visual barrier between the street and sidewalk that put them at a heightened risk for rape and robbery. The need for action is particularly pressing given the high-profile slaying of a Queens runner earlier this month, one runner said.
“I run in the street, because I’m worried someone is gonna grab me,” said Cythina Williams, who has jogged along Seventh Avenue in front of the golf course for the past two years. “Especially when it’s dark, I don’t feel safe running next to those big trucks.”
Commercial trucks and vans frequently park next to the golf course overnight — particularly along Poly Place and Seventh Avenue — to avoid costly storage fees, said Community Board 10 district manager Josephine Beckmann.
The police frequently fine and tow them, but as soon as the 68th Precinct hauls off one scofflaw, a new one takes up a spot, said Beckmann.
“It’s a chronic problem,” she said. “It’s gotten particularly bad as of late with many more complaints. And with the foliage there, people are concerned the vehicles make them vulnerable to a mugging.”
The murder of Queens jogger Karina Vetrano, who was raped and killed during a night run in Queens on Aug. 2, has sprinters on pins and needles, another runner said.
“I’m a little freaked out with all the crime lately,” said Sarah Bellemare, who regularly jogs in the area. “I’m usually out at the crack of dawn, but I’ve been coming out later so it’s not as desolate, especially with those trucks around.”
It is illegal for commercial vehicles to park along the golf course between 9 pm and 5 am — and illegal to leave a commercial vehicle on a public street for more than three hours, according to the Department of Transportation. The agency relies on police for enforcement, but the laborious task of towing vehicles usually only happens once or twice a month, because a centralized traffic-enforcement department — rather than local precincts — conducts tow operations, according to a community affairs officer with 68th Precinct.
Even with the limited towing, police claim the situation is gradually improving — but locals beg to differ, and are alarmed by a perceived lack of police presence in the area, Williams said.
“I’ve walked here three times a week for the past two years and haven’t seen a single cop over here,” she said. “Yes they give fines, but I’d love to see more police, I’d feel safer.”
