One of the reasons we stopped going downtown as a family. Also the panhandeling on Chapel is getting out of control.

This is the southeast corner near the intersection of Church and Chapel. The flag on the map is accurate.

Are "loosies" being sold at any of the stores in the area?

There are strong connections between sale of illegal items, and illegal public activity.

Not only are they doing and dealing drugs, but they are drinking alcohol openly. These people aren't even trying to hide it.
The Green is the city bus hub, and no matter what some negative people may think, the people who take the bus are usually hard working, law abiding citizens. There are people with small children who have to deal with the drunks and druggies while they have to take the bus to go buy groceries or get to/from work or school. Why aren't the police issuing tickets for loitering?

So Tired:

Lately I have heard that people are trying to steer clear of this corner, if they can. New Haven Police Officers told two people I know, on two separate occasions, that they should be careful and/or "stay away" from this corner. This makes you wonder what people who take the bus here every day think about it.

Not exactly what you want to hear about the city's most prominent intersection. The intersection should be kept immaculately clean and illegal activity, if any, should be rarely observed. The picnic tables might be removed temporarily if they are the primary source of complaints and/or litter.

The Green and streets around it used to be kept spotless, but walk through on an afternoon nowadays and you'll see litter. I know the Town Green District may have fewer resources in years past, and is doing very well with what they have, but let's hope this trend doesn't continue.

Sounds like a lot of hearsay, Mark. Come up with something original for a change.

This is really starting to irk me and the New Haven police department is not doing anything to curb any sort of illegal activity. Just one patrol officer should be necessary, though most of the time all I see them do is walk around "asserting" themselves and their authority but not doing anything to truly fix this problem. They need to take action, and although many factors play into this, it shouldn't occur.

Downtown exec: Not hearsay. I'm serious about the comments from police officers, and observations from several people I know. I also stood right at the corner, by the bus stop, for an hour a few weeks ago and listened to the officers' interactions, and have spoken with several other public officials about this.

Incidentally, the picnic tables are currently (as of Friday afternoon 12/3) covered with graffiti, and the area of grass around them filled with litter.

One can't expect the behavior to go away if the public realm is trashed.

Might I add that the strip of church street from the Rite Aid pharmacy up to the corner of the green has a ton of drug traffic.
Open drug deals and very regular patrons/dealers. For example, the tall guy with a pony-tail (Usually with a backpack and dark green military fatigues on) should be stopped.

Any word on this, Town Green?

I am pleased to report that progress is being made, however the issue is not closed. Two weeks after the original post, the NHPD started placing police vehicles on this corner. Suddenly, there were no loiterers and this area was empty. If the people previously mentioned were only acting lawfully there would be no reason to flee. Thank you NHPD for making a stand to make this community stronger and safer for all.

Unfortunately, this (and the recent cold snap) has only pushed them into the Starbucks at the same corner. Drug dealing, violent fights, and harassment have become a regular problem inside the Starbucks. The Starbucks employees don't deserve to have to deal with this as part of their jobs. Help them out by stopping the problem rather than moving it to a new location.

I agree. Increased police presence would clean that up. I work downtown and have personally witnessed deals at all hours of the day. I even overheard a food vendor point out the guy who was selling to some people on the street who stopped to ask. Not only are they blatantly dealing on that corner of the green, but also, there are deals going on in the Starbucks opposite that corner (Chapel and Church). I cannot believe the police have not been all over this. It's shockingly obvious. I am concerned that if they continue to get away with it in that location, it will soon spread to adjacent areas.

Jeffery:
I'm not naive. I am well-aware that drugs are a major problem in the city and have no delusions that that particular corner of the green is the hub of the whole operation. But obviously I am not aware of the intricacies of these 'low-level' dealings, and I'm sorry you took such offense at my comment. I guess I've been schooled now. Hope it makes you feel good to make me feel small. I am guessing, since you are posting on this site, that you are as dismayed as I am by the drug problems in this city (not to mention crime, gross disparity between rich and poor, terrible public works, etc.). Despite all this, I think New Haven is a great place and I only posted here in the hope that another comment would help those in charge take action against this particular situation on the green (since, after all, that is the point of SeeClickFix). I have seen it work for other issues (e.g. the car break-ins in Wooster Square). I don't care if it's suburbanites or scruffy addicts who are perpetuating it, I still think it needs the attention of the police. Because the green is one of the safer areas, I am particularly concerned that if we allow this corner to be so obviously run by drugs, we send a message that this area, too, is just another haven for users.

Has this been addressed?

The police have stepped up, but I still see drug dealing every single weekday morning in this area. I'm closing this for now.

I don't think you should close this if you continue to see drug dealing every day.

Two out of three days this week I have seen money exchange hands within feet of me at this intersection. Posting an empty police car there every few days has helped, but clearly has not solved the problem.

How do the police intend to fix this?

Due to the age of this post, it will be closed. NHPD is now monitoring these posts, but they need to be able to distinguish information that is current. If this issue is a continuing problem, please report as a new post in the Policing Issue category to clearly identify it as a current problem. You can reference this post, which will stay archived on the website accessible to NHPD District Managers. Any immediate public safety issue should be called into 9-1-1, however.
You can also contact the NHPD District Manager directly. To determine who to contact, follow this link: http://www.cityofnewhaven.com/Police/index.asp and click on the Patrol Bureau - Community Policing tab. Thank you.