The push for more action to clean up Roosevelt Avenue, revived last week with a press event and news release from a well-known figure in the area, has again reinforced the differing philosophical approaches to lawlessness in the area.

The issues include open prostitution, massage parlors that employ sex workers, drug use and drunkenness, illegal vending, mounds of garbage and rampant shoplifting.

The differences largely boil down to taking a strict approach to law enforcement or a more accommodating one that would legitimize things like sex work and more widespread vending, even while touting new public safety initiatives.

On the former side are the administration of Mayor Adams and City Councilman Francisco Moya (D-Corona).

On the latter side are other elected officials who represent the area, including state Sen. Jessica Ramos (D-East Elmhurst) and Assemblywomen Jessica González-Rojas (D-East Elmhurst) and Catalina Cruz (D-Corona), as well as Queens Borough President Donovan Richards.

And last week a third side re-emerged: Democratic District Leader Hiram Monserrate. Along with his allies, the former councilman and state senator released “A Five Point Plan for a Better Roosevelt Avenue.”

Monserrate and the Let’s Improve Roosevelt Ave. Coalition, represented by longtime area resident Ramon Ramirez, also advocate a law-and-order approach. But Monserrate is toxic to many, including Moya, due to his being expelled from the state Senate after being convicted of assault, and his serving federal prison time after pleading guilty to mail fraud related to the misuse of money he allocated while in the Council.

Monserrate also has run for office several times in recent years, for Council and Assembly. Only in a run for district leader has he prevailed.

The Let’s Improve Roosevelt Ave. Coalition, which also goes by the Spanish Vamos a Mejorar Roosevelt Ave., held a press conference Sept. 5 at 91st Street and Elmhurst Avenue, a short block off Roosevelt, and issued a press release calling for action.

“The Roosevelt Avenue Corridor has been taken over and is currently under the control of various organized crime syndicates, illegal marijuana shops, and hundreds upon hundreds of unlicensed vendors,” the release says. “This crisis cannot be corrected with an occasional sweep by the NYPD. The true solution will require a sustained police presence — along with a multi-agency response lead [sic] by the NYPD.”

The group’s five-point plan includes expanding the Roosevelt Avenue Task Force to 120 police officers, along with adding more cops to both the 110th and 115th Precincts, which share jurisdiction of the avenue; reconfiguring the precinct lines so that only one command would have authority; enforcing quality-of-life violations by issuing tickets to unlicensed vendors and seizing their goods; getting residents to give the city information and help beautify the area; and amending bail laws that allow repeat offenders to be released for crimes such as shoplifting.

“When I represented this community as a council member, we never allowed this,” Monserrate said in a prepared statement in the release. “Roosevelt Avenue has always had its challenges but what we have here now is complete lawlessness, it’s disgusting and must be fixed!”

Ramirez added that police do their jobs and must make arrests, and said people are not shoplifting because they are hungry but instead are selling stolen goods right on the street.

Moya, however, said in part that much of what the coalition is calling for already is being done.

“They say imitation is the best form of flattery,” he said via email. “For years, it has felt like I’ve been screaming into the void to get people to pay attention to the issues plaguing Roosevelt Ave. The reality is that only Mayor Adams and I have taken meaningful action to address the problems we face today.

“From hosting a Mayor’s Town Hall in 2023 in Corona and cleaning up Corona Plaza, to creating the Roosevelt Ave Task Force, introducing legislation requiring licenses for massage parlors, holding landlords accountable for renting to illegal businesses, and successfully closing over 20 brothels along Roosevelt Ave — these are the steps we’ve taken to drive real change.”

Ramos’ office pointed out that the state recently increased criminal penalties for retail theft and other associated crimes and that the governor just signed the Retail Worker Safety Act, a priority of the senator’s.

“Roosevelt Ave certainly needs the City’s attention,” Ramos said via email. “As Senator I do what I can to include necessary upgrades to the MTA’s capital plan to keep our infrastructure up to date, and make sure the relevant State agencies that touch the avenue are paying attention, but the fact is the City has been removing trashcans, ignoring potholes, and ignoring the human trafficking that has been going on here since I was a child growing up in this neighborhood. Our neighbors have a right to be upset and to demand better from City Hall.”

Richards spokesman Chris Barca said, “We cannot criminalize our way out of poverty. That is why Borough President Richards is laser focused on scaling up the economic and societal infrastructure of Northwest Queens, through efforts like his Corona Plaza street vendor pilot program — which he is pushing to expand further into the community — and his $1.8 million allocation toward the construction of Make the Road New York’s new community center on Roosevelt Avenue.”

He also cited the borough president’s support for development initiatives as something that will provide good employment to area residents.

Cruz could not be reached.

González-Rojas said public safety is a top priority and that she works with stakeholders including city agencies, the police and community groups to address concerns.

She cited the agreement limiting vendors in Corona Plaza as an example of cooperation and said via email, “This year we secured millions of dollars in the state budget and passed legislation to reduce gun violence, address retail theft and human trafficking, and strengthen local enforcement of illegal cannabis shops.”

She added that she will work with the “appropriate” people and institutions to find solutions and not those “who have been mired in corruption and don’t have the best interest of our neighborhoods at heart.”

Monserrate said in response to critics that “politics should be reserved for the campaign season” and everyone should work for the greater good. He also applauded Moya and the mayor for their efforts but said more must be done.