NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. — A luxury lighting business on Manhattan’s West Side has become the center of growing safety concerns after a business owner said a woman from a nearby homeless encampment allegedly tried to set his $250,000 Mercedes-Benz G63 on fire.
Bentley Meeker, owner of Bentley Meeker Lighting and Staging on West 45th Street, said conditions around the business had become increasingly concerning since the company moved into its new office in July.
At first, the encampment outside the business appeared to be another temporary presence in the neighborhood. But according to Meeker, the situation changed dramatically as the makeshift camp grew.
“Come September, it started to change into some sort of an aggressive thing,” he said.
The latest incident, according to Meeker, involved an alleged attempt to ignite his luxury SUV.
Woman Allegedly Attempts to Torch Mercedes
Meeker said a woman from the encampment allegedly wrapped a T-shirt around the vehicle’s mirror and tried to light it with a lighter Thursday.
The vehicle, according to the business owner, is worth around $250,000. Employees noticed what was happening and intervened before the attempt could cause serious damage.
Meeker reported the incident to authorities, and Department of Sanitation crews later cleared the makeshift shelters directly outside the business with assistance from the NYPD, according to Meeker and police.
The cleanup, however, did not completely ease the business owner’s concerns.
Encampment Quickly Reappears Nearby
By Friday, people who had been staying at the camp were reportedly seen setting up several blocks away, near West 52nd Street and Eleventh Avenue.
Meeker said the movement of encampments around the West Side has become a recurring problem, particularly in the area near the Intrepid Museum.
“Today it seems to be quiet. That happens occasionally but historically they come back,” Meeker said.
The business owner said he remains concerned that the group could eventually return to his block. Under City Hall’s policy, outreach workers must spend seven days offering shelter and services before an encampment can be cleared.
That policy has contributed to what Meeker described as a frustrating cycle in which camps are removed from one location and then appear somewhere nearby.
Workers Describe Frightening Encounters
The alleged Mercedes incident is not the only safety concern Meeker says his employees have experienced. He said one employee was chased with a metal rod, leaving workers afraid to come to work.
Meeker also described another incident involving a company truck. According to him, an employee nearly drove over a man who was sleeping underneath the vehicle.
Someone had reportedly tied a tarp to the truck to create a makeshift shelter. Fortunately, Meeker said, the employee noticed the tarp before driving away and stopped to investigate.
“The fact that he stopped and got out to look what was going on prevented him from running over the guy sleeping underneath the truck,” Meeker said.
The incidents have left the business owner worried about the safety of employees and the people living around the encampments.
City Says Homelessness Remains a Focus
Bentley Meeker Lighting and Staging employs about 100 full-time workers, including designers, artists and theater professionals.
Meeker said he wants his employees to be able to come to work without worrying about what they may encounter outside the building.
“I want my employees to have a safe place to work,” he said. “It’s one thing for me to be able to provide my employees with a safe space, but the city of New York should be able to provide them with a safe street.”
A City Hall spokesperson said the West Side remains an important area of focus for the Department of Homeless Services.
“This neighborhood continues to be a critical area of focus for the Department of Homeless Services,” the spokesperson said. “This administration is focused on connecting New Yorkers to shelter and establishing a pipeline to stable housing.”
For Meeker and his employees, the concern now goes beyond the appearance of tents and makeshift shelters. He says the recent encounters have raised questions about whether the situation is becoming increasingly dangerous.
As authorities and city agencies continue addressing homelessness in the area, businesses along the West Side remain caught between efforts to provide services to people living on the streets and concerns about public safety and access to their workplaces.
What do you think city officials should do about recurring encampments and safety concerns in Manhattan? Share your thoughts in the comments.
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