NYPD FAILS TO STOP NIGHTMARE ON 34TH

Cops do little to save Macy’s from masked marauders

uniformed officer in Tremont.

“I am disappointed and outraged at what happened in New York City last night,” Cuomo said at his Tuesday news conference. “The police in New York City were not effective in doing their job last night … The mayor and the NYPD did not do their jobs. Look at the videos. It was disgusting.”

Herbert Whetstone, 57, works as a security guard at a Target on 34th St. near Macy’s. He finished his 12-hour shift at 9 p.m., and noticed the police presence on the Midtown streets as he headed home.

“The cops were here, but they were outnumbered,” said Whetstone, who commutes from Crown Heights. “I guess that’s why they did it. That’s the sad part, unfortunately. You have to keep protesting, but there’s going to be others that are going to use that to do dirt.”

On Tuesday morning, the area around Macy’s was quiet — with a single police officer directing traffic at the corner of 34th St. and Broadway.

The glass storefronts along 34th St. between Sixth and Seventh Aves. were reduced to shards on the sidewalks, where workers were sweeping up the mess. At the Foot Locker store, a double-layer of plywood was installed Tuesday to protect what remained of the business. At Macy’s, some of the remaining plywood boards bore graffiti left by the looters: “Black power” and “F—k NYPD.”

Jato Jenkins, 39, a worker for the 34th St. Partnership, was sweeping up glass on the morning after. He wasn’t sure what to say about the whole mess.

“I don’t really know,” he said. “But what I’ve been seeing on the news, it’s a lot of people from other places coming in.”

Hours earlier outside Macy’s, people began rushing toward the store entrance once the plywood sheet was shattered. An explosion then boomed from a nearby garbage can as the street was suddenly illuminated by flames. After a few frightening moments where people scatter, the procession of thieves continued through the breached entrance.

Cops arriving at the scene climbed through the same hole torn in the plywood by the vandals to head inside and pursue the looters.

A subsequent video captured three men, their hands tied behind their backs with plastic restraints, led by cops away from the store.

“Macy’s Herald Square had intruders last night during protest activity in New York City,” the company said in a Tuesday morning statement. “Our first concern is the safety of our colleagues and neighbors, and we are grateful that none of our employees were harmed. NYPD responded to the scene, and to date, damage has been limited.”

There was no comment from Macy’s regarding an estimate to the damage or stolen property.

By the end, a brief video captured a single city cop in riot gear steering passersby away from the store entrance. A half-melted plastic garbage can was lying in the street.