Chacity Bowen

The light brown sand is covered with women laid on multicolor towels tanning in the bright sun. Men in groups toss volleyballs back and forth across the beach. Families share laughs and in between probably take selfies with the hashtag “Coney Island.” In the distance, the water is dark blue and cold as ice. Pathways are uneasy to walk on and  trash cans are overfilled causing litter to be buried in the sand or thrown in the water.

Coney Island Beach has been reported in several sources to be in unsatisfactory condition. It has excessive amounts of litter, pathways that can cause potential trip hazards and an abundance amount of maintenance issues. However, Coney Island visitors enjoy the sunbathing weather on the sand claiming that the beach is actually better than others in the NYC area.

The area’s history as a seaside resort and amusement park is legendary and whether the beach is unsanitary or not, hasn’t stopped the public from enjoying the location.

The NYC Report Card was designed to be an easy-to-use tool for communities and public officials to assess their local beaches.

The 2015 report does not show any improvement as the status is still considered “unsatisfactory.” Almost a third of fountains failed inspection as the reasons for failure were insufficient pressure to take a drink, algae, weeds, or other unsanitary substance at the fountain’s foot.  Pathway maintenance at the beach also remains a challenge as they fell from a score of 99 in 2011 to a score of 78 in 2015. A third of surveyed areas on the boardwalk suffered from trip hazards in the form of missing, raised or sunken sections.

Little has changed since  the 2007 report, where “excessive broken glass was found at 40 percent of transects and excessive litter also impacted 40 percent of surveyed areas.” One quarter of the pathways suffered from wooden boards that were raised or missing, causing potential trip hazards and maintenance issues include spilled paint and loose nails. These unsafe conditions can end in injuries for Coney Island visitors, especially with 15 million visitors in 2006.

However, Coney Island visitors are not alarmed by these unsanitary conditions. The legendary experience the resort is known for still attracts then.

Coney Island is well known as the site of amusement parks and a seaside resort. The attractions reached a historical peak during the first half of the 20th century.

According to Brooklyn history, “as soon as the summer sun starts to scorch the Brooklyn pavement, Coney Island resurrects itself for another season of screeching rides and mischievous amusements as thousands migrate to its beach and boardwalk.”

A woman sunbathing on the sand said that the rides attract her to come to the beach. A man tanning under his umbrella said that the rides also did attract him, but also the convenience of the beach. It is local, easy to get there, more anemities and the bathroom is close to the sand area. A woman added that the relaxation and convenience attracts her to come to the beach. Although the beach is not to its upscale point of cleanliness, people are still attracted to its desirable assets.

People claim to be aware of the excessive amount of litter, but it is not “noticeable.” A lady said “The beach is actually the cleanest, it is cleaner than Orchard beach where in the water you step in diapers and tampons.” Another man said “It is not terrible, not bad and not really noticeable.”

Although people claimed that the litter was unnoticeable, they made suggestions for the future of the beach. Women said that there should be more garbage cans on the beach because people may feel it is too far and instead bury trash into the sand. A man added that people should be responsible for picking up their trash.

A lighted ventilated tunnel with five foot, six inches in height and a bit more than two and a half feet wide ensured the escape of the infamous drug lord El Chapo. We all have the ideal of correctional facilities keeping menaces to society in captivity for our safety, but this all takes a turn when Mexico’s correctional system is overruled the officers, but the criminals inside.

His third time escaping a prison, the head of Sinaloa Cartel, considered the “most powerful drug trafficker in the world” by the United States Department of the Treasury and practically a billionaire has a never ending list of titles.

This man is more than a menace to society; he is rather a plague to the positive progression of an economy. He controlled the Sinaloa Cartel tunnel that had twelve million worth of drugs that was only shut down in the year of 2013. Including 17,292 pounds of marijuana and 325 pounds of cocaine, this man provided an abundance of drugs to millions before this in which the constant fight for the end of drug abuse was ridiculed. His charges range from manslaughter to drug trafficking. Such a man as such should not be out on the streets nor should he have not been monitored carefully that he was able to escape.

The Mexican government needs to put away their ego and find El Chapo to put him in jail permanently this time. According to CNN, the Mexican government won’t accept U.S. help as they feel completely embarrassed by this escape.

They won’t accept U.S. help but they’re not even controlling the problem as El Chapo has both threatened Donald Trump and assaulted Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto on Twitter. After Donald Trump comments that he would  kick El Chapo’s a– if he were president, translated in proper terms, El Chapo on Twitter  responds saying that he will make him suffer. He then harassed the President saying that he needs to stop calling him a delinquent because he gives people jobs unlike the government. Threatening and assaulting politicians on social media should not be acceptable and scares the population as they no longer feel safe.

Since El Chapo  escaped three times already, what makes the Mexican government think that this won’t happen again in their hands? The tunnel for his escapes are estimated to have had 2,000 tons of dirt removed, a year at least to complete as it is lighted, have real transportation and an air conditioner. This is completely outstanding for a criminal to do inside a correctional facility. His infamous reputation for his planned tunnels has even started the joke that Mexico should let El Chapo renovate it subways  as they are in terrible condition. This complexity of the escape raises questions about corruption in Mexico as the U.S. is appalled that no one noticed this.

Violence has increased in Mexico’s prisons and the majority is controlled by inmates, the Mexican National Human Rights Commission said. The number of riots, fights, escapes and homicides increased last year with 261 inmates escaping and 73 acts of violence that left 154 inmates dead and 103 wounded. Critics say that inmates involved in the Cartel are able to leave the prison to operate their business and return to the safety of ethir cell. In addition they report that some inmates are allow to have kitchen appliances and certain weapons in their cell.The prisons are out of control making this infamous drug lord’s escape not a surprise. In 2008 when he was returned to prison, the US  asked for him to be handed over to them to promise his captivity, but Mexico’s ego again rejects this. Now the U.S. is still subject to this danger as our borders touch.

A son, a brother, an uncle, and even a father could be subject to this never ending drug abuse promoted by this man and his organization the Cartel. He needs to be captured and put into captivity permanently in order for the positive progression for the economy, not only Mexico, but the U.S. as well. Correctional facilities need to be back into the shape it was implemented for, to ensure the safety of the people and to put an end to this long fight of drug abuse.