What to Know
- The NYPD has officers fanning out across the boroughs for a safety initiative that launched Monday to get guns and gang members off the streets.
- The newly launched program debuted Monday with 168 officers serving in a specialized unit and with hundreds more set to join once they finish training.
- The new neighborhood safety teams are laser-focused on reducing guns and gun violence. The teams of five, along with the sergeant, are an updated version of the Anti-Gun Unit and have specialized training.
The NYPD has officers fanning out across the boroughs for a safety initiative that launched Monday to get guns and gang members off the streets.
The newly launched program debuted Monday with 168 officers serving in a specialized unit and with hundreds more set to join once they finish training.
The vetting for the new team was intense with 15 to 20% of officers who applied not making it.
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Two hours after the roll-out on Monday, officers from the newly formed unit stopped a 20-year-old reputed Bloods gang member off the streets in the Bronx and recovered a a loaded ghost gun -- his third gun arrest this year.
"This is what we talk about when we talk about drivers of violence in our community," NYPD Chief of Department Kenneth Corey said.
The new neighborhood safety teams are laser-focused on reducing guns and gun violence. The teams of five, along with the sergeant, are an updated version of the Anti-Gun Unit and have specialized training.
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These officers will wear vests that clearly identify them, instead of wearing plain clothes, and they’ll be wearing body cameras at all times.
Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell said they spoke with members of the communities before making changes to the program and rolling it out.
With high profile crimes like the man who recently shot two homeless men, killing one, the teams will work with the community to identify people who commit crimes. Leaders say the goal is to focus on 30 precincts that are hotspots for crime where 80% of shootings took place over the past 13 months and work with the community to identify people who may have committed crimes. Meanwhile, the mayor says he has set a high bar to determine the success of the new teams.
"The metrics we’re going to use that the unit is successful, is when we stop seeing shootings in our city... It’s not just about taking the guns off but it’s building confidence with the community, organizations, and groups," Mayor Eric Adams said. "Those are the metrics we’re using. We’re going to use the metrics that the communities are comfortable with these men and women who are given this difficult assignment and you’ll see substantial decrease in gun violence, shootings and homicide in our city."
These neighborhood safety teams will be in places like Inwood, Harlem, and Canarsie, to start, before expanding. The commissioner is making it clear she’s looking forward to building strong cases and holding criminals accountable.
