Vagrancy, open-air drug dealing, aggressive panhandlers, and unruly middle school students entering businesses are among the issues residents and business owners have noticed and reported to RLS Media in their neighborhood.
These same business leaders in Newark's Central Ward are raising concerns about what they say is rising criminal activity in and around their establishments, particularly on Broadway.
In one of the multiple incidents, on October 14, police responded to reports of a commercial armed robbery in progress at The Obeng Pharmacy at 95 Broadway.
Newark Police officers arrived and were told by employees that two armed males wearing hoodies and covid masks stormed into the business and announced a robbery.
The pair held guns to the heads of two female clerks, then stole cash and controlled narcotic prescription medicine. The suspects fled the scene and remained at large. No injuries were reported.
RLS Media reported in June that two armed suspects robbed the exact location, but police never reported an arrest in the case or released any information regarding safety concerns at that location.
UNRULY JUVENILES AT MCDONALD'S:
A McDonald's on Broadway is not lovin' the unruly behavior of local teens and pre-teens who flock to the restaurant after school hours and wreak havoc inside the establishment. The location confirmed they would no longer allow those under 18 to enter the store without an adult chaperone.
RLS Media reported on several occasions that over 25 to 50 teenagers "caused a disturbance" at the restaurant, which included verbal abuse of workers, fighting, trashing the location, and poor behavior that had management calling the police to break up some of the chaos.
"Our top priority is the safety of our customers and crew. For this reason, we have put a temporary policy in place, limiting [the] lobby to only accompanied minors." -McDonald's Broadway officials.
Authorities noted that they believe that students from the local school like to hang out at businesses after class and tend to cause problems.
McDonald's officials aren't the only ones feeling this way. Business owners on Broadway believe the vagrancy and chaos flooding the streets have become a common sight since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We just really need more attention paid," a Broadway business owner said.
"That'll make us all a little bit safer."