'Please Wear A Mask,' Borough President Shouts In Crown Heights

CROWN HEIGHTS, BROOKLYN — A booming voice wafted up and down Crown Heights on Sunday to spread an urgent message: wear a mask.

The voice belonged to Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams who amplified it with a megaphone while perched high on a trailer rolling down Nostrand Avenue. He was accompanied by church volunteers wearing yellow "God Squad" shirts and passing out masks.

"Everyone should wear face coverings," Adams said.

To keep up to date with coronavirus developments in Crown Heights, sign up for Patch's news alerts and newsletter.

Adams' message and outreach came on the heels of violent NYPD arrests over social distancing. Police data released amid a growing outcry showed people of color accounted for 80 percent of all social distancing summonses, with Crown Heights ranking fourth among neighborhoods for the number of tickets.

Out of 40 arrests for social distancing violations in Brooklyn, only one person was white.

Adams, a former police captain, called for the NYPD to get out of social distancing enforcement. The best strategy is outreach, he argued.

"This is why we're out here doing this," he said in a video showing him passing out masks. "We're saying it's not a public safety... it's not a crime problem. Police shouldn't be doing this. This is a public health problem."

Coronavirus In NYC: Latest Happenings And Guidance

Email PatchNYC@patch.com to reach a Patch reporter or fill out this anonymous form to share your coronavirus stories. All messages are confidential.