New York City is set to move 110 single homeless men into a Brooklyn shelter without conducting criminal background checks, according to a new report, sparking outrage among residents who fear the change will bring more crime to their quiet neighborhood.The former Gold Star Inn in Sheepshead Bay, which has operated as a family shelter for roughly a year, is expected to begin housing single adult men as early as next week after the city's Department of Homeless Services decided to relocate the 55 families currently living there, the New York Post first reported.The move has alarmed nearby residents, who told the Post they have already seen an uptick in crime since the shelter opened and worry the transition to housing single men will exacerbate those problems.MAMDANI WALKS BACK PLAN TO INCREASE NYPD HEADCOUNT FOLLOWING DSA PRESSUREA person sleeps on a sidewalk January 26, 2026 in the Manhattan borough of New York City.(Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images)"People are breaking into cars, people are destroying the park, taking their pants down in the park," Fahad, a 30-year-old plumber from nearby Brighton Beach, told the outlet.
"It used to be very quiet."According to NYPD data, shooting incidents in the 61st Precinct, which includes Sheepshead Bay, have risen to 5 so far this year, a 400% increase compared to the same period in 2025.Reports of rape have doubled from eight to 16, while retail theft has risen 10%.Overall crime in the area dropped about 7% so far this year compared to the same period in 2025, according to the NYPD data.Residents have also expressed concern that city officials will not conduct criminal background checks on incoming shelter residents.A man with his belongings in shopping carts sits along a street near a shelter for the homeless in New York, the United States, on Nov.
21, 2025.(Zhang Fengguo/Xinhua via Getty Images)"The Department of Homeless Services confirmed that no criminal background vetting will take place, leaving room for potential s...