Women accused jail guards of sexual assault. They still work at Rikers.

Plus: Manhattan foot traffic nears pre-pandemic levels [View this email in a browser.]( Gothamist relies on your support to make local news available to all. Not yet a member? [Consider donating and join today.]( [Women accused jail guards of sexual assault. They still work at Rikers.]( [first image]( [Today's newsletter curated by James Ramsay]( Weather: ☀️ Sunny, highs in the mid 70s. Several jail guards currently employed at Rikers Island have been accused of raping and sexually assaulting detainees, and city officials do not appear to be investigating the claims — a violation of federal guidelines and the city’s own rules for handling sexual misconduct allegations against correction officers. A new Gothamist investigation shows that at least five guards currently employed by the Department of Correction are among those named in more than 700 lawsuits filed against the city by people who say they were raped and sexually abused while jailed at Rikers. Although jail officials will not say whether they plan to investigate the claims, none of the five guards have faced discipline for sexual misconduct, according to correction department and personnel records. Three of the current guards said they only learned about the allegations after being called by a Gothamist reporter. For the last several months, [Gothamist has pored over the details in the hundreds of lawsuits filed under the Adult Survivors Act]( a state law that for one year extended the statute of limitations for filing civil claims over sexual assaults. Of more than 1,200 cases filed in the city’s state supreme courts, nearly 60% of them focus on alleged assaults at Rikers. Taken together, the lawsuits describe a pattern of institutionalized abuse akin to the assault scandals at Columbia University and USA Gymnastics. [Read the full story here](. Here's what else is happening: - Thanks to returning office workers, foot traffic in Manhattan is [finally nearing pre-COVID levels]( according to a Placer.ai report. - The NYPD said five people were shot and one died near the West Indian Day Parade route in Brooklyn yesterday. [A shooter remains on the loose]( police said. - A 40-year-old Brooklyn man has been charged after allegedly [hitting and killing a bicyclist while driving impaired]( Sunday in Williamsburg. - On Randall's Island, crowded parks and several high-profile crimes have [fueled growing tension and suspicions]( between longtime residents and the more than 2,000 asylum-seekers currently staying in a tent shelter on the island. - PS 372, an elementary school near the Gowanus Canal, is proceeding with back-to-school plans despite the recent discovery of high levels of indoor air contamination. - It's time to say [goodbye to the abandoned Army hangar]( at Fort Tilden beach before the National Park Service demolishes the structure - The piers [are popping](. - Prime [beach season]( is just kicking off for Rockaway locals. - The New York Post met some haters of the new [rat-resistant pizza box trash cans](. - A court ruled last week that people can [continue to smoke inside]( Atlantic City casinos, for now. - A [new self-published novel]( from famed reply guy Rick Paulas — this one's about "newlywed couples on a Route 66 honeymoon who stumble upon a mysterious radio show" — is now available for preorder. - Here's a rundown of the [16 new plays and musicals]( coming to Broadway this fall. - [Venomous northern copperhead snakes]( which blend nicely into piles of autumn leaves, are slithering through New Jersey. - Speaking of autumn leaves, don't even think about going to photograph [that cozy barn]( in Pomfret, Vermont, if you're not a year-round resident. (They closed the road to keep influencers out.) - Congrats to Joey Chestnut on his new [hot dog-eating world record](. [“The lunch places are full.”]( - Moritz Masberg, an attorney in Midtown, on [THE 6TH AVENUE FOOT TRAFFIC]( More from Gothamist [second image]( [Brian Lehrer, Laurie Anderson to appear at free Central Park event to celebrate WNYC’s 100th year]( The Sept. 9 live broadcast from SummerStage will also feature Alison Stewart from “All of It,” Brooke Gladstone and Micah Loewinger from “On The Media,” and Sean Carlson from “All Things Considered.” [Look up at the NYC night sky in September to see Saturn, star clusters and more]( Deep-sky objects — astronomy lingo for objects outside our solar system — will pop into view as the summer winds down toward the fall equinox on Sept. 22, marking shorter days to come. [We Rely On Your Support]( [A New Yorker’s guide to class-action lawsuits]( If you’ve snacked on protein bars that listed misleading nutrition information on the wrapper, applied for a job at a firm with discriminatory hiring practices, taken medication with serious and unexpected side effects, or paid an exorbitant fee when selling your condo, you might be eligible for a payday, even if you didn’t know you were harmed. [Behind the revelry, NYC’s West Indian Day parade is facing decline, band leaders say]( Gothamist interviewed multiple masquerade bandleaders who said the competition has become more intense in recent years as costs rise and interest fades. [Instagram]( [Instagram]( [Facebook]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Twitter]( [New York Public Radio] [WNYC]( | [WQXR]( | [NJPR]( | [GOTHAMIST]( [WNYC STUDIOS]( | [THE GREENE SPACE]( Copyright © New York Public Radio. 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