Christopher Marte,

 

As long-time business owners, residents, workers, and friends of Suffolk Street, we are writing to express concern about Bluestockings Cooperative Bookstore’s harm reduction initiative. Our neighbor recently explained some of this to you in person and we want to follow up on your recommendation of a “mini town hall.”

 

We are aware of the increasing demand for harm reduction programs, and as such we have fully supported the long-standing methadone clinics in the neighborhood. Likewise, we have embraced the homeless shelter residents at the local Holiday Inn. Both of these initiatives have infrastructure to fully support the needs they are addressing. Unfortunately, that is not the case for Bluestockings. While we support all that Bluestockings does for the LGBTQIA+ community, they are not equipped to service harm reduction and thus their unprofessional management has sadly brought illegal activity that has made our street unsafe.

 

Several superintendents on our block have pleaded with tenants to address these safety and sanitary concerns. One building even hired security guards because tenants and staff were unsafe. The security guards were temporary, and the sense of unsafety lingers. Therefore, we are pleading to you to intervene with the increasingly untenable situation Bluestockings has created. We have tried to negotiate this directly, but it’s time for the government itself to assess if this “business” is duly equipped to provide the services they are offering.

 

Active drug dealers happen on our block. The sidewalks are not well-lit. We have been chased on our street while walking our dogs, hit with pipes, and spat upon. Multiple buildings have had break ins and attempted entries. Residents and workers, including several of our children and disabled family members, have been threatened and blocked from entering their buildings. Cars have been broken into.

 

This activity has entirely coincided with Bluestockings tenancy on Suffolk Street. Again, many of us have lived on this block for 25+ years and never experienced this. There is a direct correlation to their arrival on our block and this sharp level of degradation.

 

 

We need your help addressing this issue. We are huge supporters of you as our elected representative and believe your office has the ability to help.

 

Thank you for your attention to this matter. We look forward to your reply.