At 40 Oak St in Greenpoint, tenants say home no longer feels like home. After years of what they describe as threats, late-night disturbances and frightening confrontations, residents claim one neighbor has turned their building into a place where people double-check the peephole before stepping into the hallway.
Police arrested 42-year-old Mark Creightney on Friday after what neighbors say was just the latest in a long series of incidents. Officers say he kicked a 29-year-old woman and forcibly touched a 41-year-old woman the same day, according to News12. Tenants told the outlet they believe Creightney has been assaulting and harassing neighbors for about four years and that earlier arrests have not stopped the behavior.
Neighbors Call for the City to Step In
Residents say the situation has gone from annoying to alarming, with families, children and older tenants all on edge.
"We are not the only victims of this man, this man has harassed others and children," a neighbor who gave only her first name, Patience, told News12. "The system is failing not only him, the system is failing us, because we have to live with him every day."
Tenants say the pattern feels painfully familiar: an arrest, a short stay in custody, then a release that puts everyone back in the same hallway with the same unresolved problems. That churn has left neighbors frustrated with both the criminal justice and housing systems, which they argue have not provided a lasting fix or meaningful protection.
State Law Offers a Court-Ordered Option, but With Limits
New York’s assisted-outpatient-treatment statute, better known as Kendra’s Law, allows courts to require supervised community mental-health care for people judged to pose a danger to themselves or others. In theory, it is one of the tools that could help when a person cycles repeatedly through police custody and back into a residential building.
In practice, the law’s impact depends heavily on timely services and consistent oversight. A recent audit by the state Comptroller found lapses in treatment and monitoring under Kendra’s Law that can blunt the force of court orders and weaken the safety net the statute is supposed to provide, according to the NYS Comptroller.
What Residents Can Do Now
For neighbors who feel unsafe, the official guidance is not especially comforting but it is clear. If you feel threatened, you are urged to call 911 so officers can respond to crimes in progress. For ongoing nuisance or mental-health concerns, tenants are advised to document every incident, notify their landlord in writing and contact 311 or local elected officials to push for a coordinated city response.
Victims can also seek orders of protection through the courts, which can restrict contact and set legal boundaries. Any criminal prosecution, though, depends on prosecutors choosing to file charges based on police reports, witness statements and other evidence. Neighbors say they are hoping this most recent arrest finally triggers either serious, sustained enforcement or a structured mental-health intervention that sticks.
Legal Outlook
An arrest on its own does not guarantee that charges will follow. Prosecutors review each case and decide whether to proceed based on the available evidence and the likelihood of winning in court. Advocates and residents say what is unfolding at 40 Oak St highlights a broader tension in New York City: the gap between criminal enforcement on one side and limited mental-health and social-service capacity on the other.
The building on Oak Street remains on edge as tenants press police, elected officials and social-services agencies for a solution that keeps everyone both safe and connected to care. Several residents say they plan to meet with local representatives and continue documenting every incident until something finally changes.
