The city is moving 110 unvetted vagrant men into a shelter in quiet Sheepshead Bay, terrifying neighbors who fear the influx could bring violent criminals and sex offenders to their doorstep.<\/p>\n
Crime began creeping into the normally peaceful Brooklyn neighborhood after the former Gold Star Inn on Emmons Avenue was converted into a homeless shelter for families about a year ago, residents told The Post.<\/p>\n
But now the city is booting the 55 families to make way for single homeless men as early as next week, and neighbors are petrified crime will spiral further.<\/p>\n
The Gold Star Inn, formerly the Comfort Inn, will turn into a shelter for single men as early as next week. Leonardo Munoz for NY Post<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople are breaking into cars, people are destroying the park, taking their pants down in the park,\u201d lamented a man who\u00a0identified himself only as Fahad, 30, a plumber from Brighton Beach. \u201cIt used to be very quiet.\u201d<\/p>\n
Shooting incidents are up 400% so far this year in the 61st Precinct, which encompasses Sheepshead Bay, and retail theft is up 10%, according to NYPD data. Reports of rape have doubled so far in 2026, to 16 from 8 at the same time last year.<\/p>\n
To make matters worse, the city will not screen the wave of incoming hobos for prior sexual offenses.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Department of Homeless Services confirmed that no criminal background vetting will take place, leaving room for potential\u00a0sex offenders and convicted felons to come in contact with our children,\u201d City Councilwoman Inna Vernikov (R-Brooklyn) raged in a letter sent to the city\u2019s Department of Social Services this week.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis will be devastating for the surrounding neighborhood and community.\u00a0We have seen the impacts of bringing a single adult male shelter into a residential community:\u00a0loitering, drugs, and criminal activity,\u201d added Vernikov.<\/p>\n
Vernikov asked the city\u2019s department of social services to relocate the men\u2019s shelter in a letter this week. LightRocket via Getty Images<\/p>\n
The news was worrisome for area residents.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot checking the background is not very diligent of the city,\u201d said Ginny, a 50-year-old neighbor who didn\u2019t want to give her last name. \u201cHow can say they are protecting children when they allow that? There are also elderly people who can be targets.\u201d<\/p>\n
The shelter is across the street from Lew Fidler Park, a popular family hangout that includes a playground.<\/p>\n
\u201cSomeone who was just released from prison is now living at the shelter. . . . I don\u2019t want it to get worse. I\u2019m worried,\u201d neighbor Olga Adynets, 37, originally from Moscow, told The Post.<\/p>\n
Neighbors worry the unvetted homeless men will bring even more crime to the quiet area. Leonardo Munoz for NY Post<\/p>\n
The nonprofit that operates the shelter is itself at the center of a massive federal corruption probe<\/a> that\u2019s looking into whether prominent Democrats accepted bribes in exchange for giving it lucrative taxpayer-funded contracts.<\/p>\n In March, the executive director of BHRAGS \u2014 a Brooklyn-based homecare provider-turned-shelter operator in 2022 \u2014 Roberto Samedy and its former board chairman, Jean Ronald Tirelus, were indicted on federal charges for allegedly raking in $1.3 million in illicit payments<\/a>, wire fraud and embezzlement.<\/p>\n