'Open-air drug market' in the Bronx is causing 'hell on earth' for residents and lawmakers, who demand its immediate shutdown.

Residents of New York City are urging Mayor Eric Adams to address the "open-air drug market" that has taken over a street in the Bronx. The area near the subway station on 149th Street has become a hub for drug use and money exchange in broad daylight. Fox 5 New York has documented a man who projectile vomited and passed out on the street. Meanwhile, a woman was shot and killed during an apartment building robbery in New York City.

One neighbor described the area as "like hell on earth" due to the alleged criminal activity and drug use, while a business owner on Melrose Avenue said he now hires someone to clean up urine and feces daily.

Hassan claims that the situation on Melrose Avenue has deteriorated so badly that many of his customers are avoiding the area due to the unsanitary conditions. According to him, people prefer to shop at other stores where they don't have to see people's feces and urine on the streets.

Congressman Ritchie Torres, representing the Bronx, wrote a letter to Mayor Eric Adams urging swift action. In the letter, Torres demanded that Adams disband the open-air drug market on Melrose Avenue. Meanwhile, a former American Airlines mechanic was sentenced to prison for smuggling cocaine in a compartment under the cockpit. In response to the concerns raised by Congressman Torres, a spokesperson for City Hall stated that their administration is focused on keeping New Yorkers safe while balancing livability with safety and connection to services. They achieve this through both proactive policies that ensure access to high-quality support, treatment, and recovery services and reactive policies like increased police patrols in the community. The statement concluded by looking forward to partnering with Congressman Torres to ensure a safer, more livable city for all New Yorkers.

While Congressman Torres commends City Hall's stance on this issue, he believes that Mayor Eric Adams is solely responsible for ensuring public safety on the streets.

The mayor is responsible for running the city, controlling the police department and the Department of Health. Therefore, he should deploy both police officials and health officials to dismantle the open-air drug market, Torres stated to FOX 5 New York.

The NYPD did not immediately return Planet Chronicle Digital's request for comment.