PROSPECT HEIGHTS, Brooklyn — A Brooklyn construction company has created color-coded hardhats for its workers to wear in an effort to reduce catcalling and harassment.
Neighbors near the Pacific Park, formerly known as Atlantic Yards, construction site have a list of complaints — the loud machines, lack of parking, and harassment from the construction crew.
“It happens and it does bother people a lot,” Jessica Flores told PIX11 News.
In response, Pacific Park developers Greenland Forest City Partners came up with a system to help residents identify crew members and report catcalling. Workers will wear color-coded stickers — red, yellow, blue and gray — that represent the subcontractor they are with.
“If any of the subdivision are acting out of line, I mean they should be notified,” a Brooklyn resident said.
Signs have been posted around the site and on apartment doors near the area.
However, the color-coded system doesn’t give many women walking by the construction site hope that the catcalling and harassment will stop.
Flores said she found the notice about the new system taped on her door, but said she is skeptical how successful it would be to stop the harassment.
“The odds of you walking up to someone who’s essentially antagonizing you, or making you feel uncomfortable — check the color on their hat? It’s pretty slim. I don’t know how secure that’s going to make people, especially women feel,” Flores said.
A representative from the Pacific Park developers told PIX11 News the company wants to create a safe and accountable site and the ID system is just a part of doing that. The representative also said reports of bad behavior on its construction sites have been extremely isolated.
