Community Corner

Readers Think Port Jeff is Getting More Dangerous

After a robbery at knifepoint in the Port Jefferson Station IHOP, readers spoke up about crime in the area.

A has made people in the area worried for their safety. It also puts a spotlight on an area of Port Jefferson that has been the focus of debate for many years: upper Port Jefferson and Route 112 in Port Jefferson Station.

if they thought that the area was getting more dangerous on Monday. Here’s what they had to say:

Tim Needles, a local artist and writer from the area tweeted that sometimes the uptown area “reminds me of the dystopian future.” Specifically he said it brings back the image of the movie Back to the Future 2 to him.

Find out what's happening in Port Jeffersonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

In answer to our query Joseph J. Neuschatz M.D. said that “as long as laws are not enforced, criminals will become more and more daring.”

He had an idea that harkens back to the broken-window theory of police work.

Find out what's happening in Port Jeffersonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“How about starting by punishing simple infractions like the ugly and illegal posting of ads on utility poles?” he asked. “The enforcement is easy: the phone numbers of the culprits are always posted. And the money they will have to pay, will surely not hurt our suffering budgets.”

“Robbing an IHOP at 7:30 a.m. and not taking from the register means only one thing: drugs,” said Bill Lynch. “Port Jefferson (near the station) is getting worse and worse. Its drug abusers looking for their next fix. Something needs to be done about it.”

He said that he won’t let his son “walk across the street to buy a soda in broad daylight.”

“Bring the beat cops back,” Lynch exclaimed.

An anonymous poster called it  “a shame what has become of this town.”

“I was born and raised here and in this day and age I can not believe it is the same place,” the poster said.

Finally, Matt, a resident for 35 years said that “within the past two years, my car and house have been broken into. Within the past two weeks, my neighbor's cars and houses have been broken into.”

He said that he sees drug deals on the corner of his street and “more and more kids walk around breaking into cars and houses for drug money.” 

“I wanted to raise my kids in the same town where I grew up,” he said. “Sadly, my wife and I have changed our minds about that.”

What do you think? Is Port Jefferson more crime ridden that before?


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