Police barricades meant to crack down on drug-related gang violence in Harlem are now the source of controversy themselves.

For the last two weeks, police have been putting up metal barricades at 129th Street between Fifth and Seventh Avenue to check IDs of people going in and out of the blocks.

If individuals do not live on the block, they have to get a resident to come and vouch for them.

Police said the barricades were set up following the shooting of a 25-year-old man while he was playing basketball earlier this month.

Authorities said they received word from community leaders that there was going to be some sort of retaliation from gang members because of the shooting.

Some residents of 129th Street say it is a good measure because police are stopping violence, but others feel it is like living in a police state.

"It's for our safety because our young boys are getting killed like there's no tomorrow," said a local.

"Some people have bags, they have to put their groceries down to show ID? I don't think that's right, do you?" said another. "Hell no, I don't like it. I'm an old woman, I can't be showing my ID every time I walk. I live on the block, the shooting happened in the park. It didn't happen in the block."

"You got people who are new to the block and come in vehicles and they just wave them through. So that's one of the downsides of the checkpoint, it creates selective screening," said a third.

Gun violence has been a long-term problem on 129th Street. In November, 19 members of the "129" street gang were arrested in connection with shootings and alleged gun-running.

The members of the anti-gun-violence group Harlem Mother's Save said they welcome the extra police presence but fear it will lead to more tension between police and the community.

“It gives the community a little bit of a sense of safety. Then the other side is it’s a little troubling that it has to be at this extreme,” said Ron Sullivan, the chairperson of Harlem Mother’s Save. “You have a lot of people who are just going to and from, kids coming home from school, hanging out, getting stopped for no reason.”

NYPD officials said Monday they will monitor the situation on 129th Street to try and figure out how long the barricades need to stay up.

Law enforcement sources told NY1 the police may try to turn the street into a "play street," meaning they will put games and activities out for the street's children.