The shooting death of NYPD officer Randolph Holder has brought into focus the lesser-known Police Service Area commands across the city, a command in which Holder had a role in engaging with the community and respected by neighbors and activists.
Holder was on the job as a member of the anti-crime unit of PSA no. 5 when he encountered Tyrone Howard, the violent criminal who allegedly shot and killed the officer.
Fellow plainclothes officers of PSA 5 stood in salute outside their stationhouse in East Harlem Wednesday, aware that so many New Yorkers don't know what it is that PSA cops do.
"The PSA is different place. These are community cops," explained Clark Pena, East Harlem community activist. "They work to protect our Housing Authority facilities. We meet with them once a month, we speak with them on their cellphones quite frequently."
The PSA polices public housing complexes across the city; PSA 5 covers East Harlem and Harlem.
"It's shocking," Pena said. "We were out here last night and it's numbing. It shouldn't happen at any precinct, but for this to be happening at our PSA, our PSA 5, it's very disheartening."
Others in the community say the approximately 3,000 PSA cops citywide -- about 1 out of 10 members of the NYPD -- are the eyes and ears of public housing. They're also known as anti-crime police since so many housing projects are riddled with drugs and guns.
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Police union president Pat Lynch told NBC 4 New York "it's hugely critical because they know the complex like the back of their hands. But it's not just the complex, it's everything that surrounds it."
Holder was known in the neighborhood for reaching out to people, especially children.
"He actually cared about the young people in this community. He was very adamant about getting to know them and not judging," said Kioka Jackson of the 25th Precinct Community Council.
The PSA 5 stationhouse was covered in black and purple bunting in honor of Holder, and neighbors set up a memorial of candles and flowers outside.
Police Commissioner Bill Bratton said at a news conference Holder's fellow officers had been inconsolable at the hospital the previous night until Holder's father, Randolph Holder Sr., went in to visit them.
"The father was incredible, perhaps because he was a cop himself in Guyana. But he was just so stoic, so comforting, and also offered to go back to the room where we had almost 100 fellow officers from PSA 5 grieving, many crying. And he wanted to go in and comfort them in their time of grief," he said.
Some community leaders Wednesday had stern words for neighbors who they say should have spoken up and revealed the whereabouts of the wanted gunman before Tuesday's shootout.
"Police Officer Randolph Holder would not be dead if the community was not being complacent and working along with murderers in our community," said pastor Vernon Williams. "This young man, this person, this anti-social degenerate was already being sought by the NYPD for an unrelated shooting. And he was being harbored by community members who knew that. Shame on you."
Later Wednesday night, officers at PSA 5 joined community members to say a prayer for Randolph.
"We want to let the public know that we stand in solidarity with our uniformed officers on and off duty," said Bonita Montaque, a former police officer in Guyana now living in New York.
The same group earlier marched to the precinct from the scene on 120th Street where Holder was killed, and City Council Speaker Melissa Mark Viverito led a moment of silence.
"There's a lot of pain and a lot of healing that we need to engage in, so tonight was a moment for us to come together," she said.
