Mayor Bill de Blasio, Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams and City Council Member Alicka Ampry-Samuel (D-Brownsville, East Flatbush, Crown Heights, Bedford-Stuyvesant announced plans yesterday to pump $1 million into improving constituent waiting areas and public entry ways at the 71st, 73rd, 75thand 77th precincts in Central Brooklyn.
The improvements are designed to welcome community members into these spaces and provide more opportunity to build relationships with officers. The improvements will enhance the spaces for both residents and for the police officers who work at the precincts.
“While crime is at a record low in New York City, there is still more work to do to ensure that every New Yorker feels comfortable in their local precinct,” said de Blasio. “These new improvements will help to make the precincts more welcoming, and I thank Borough President Adams and Council Member Ampry-Samuel for their commitment to strengthening the bond between community and police.”
“Opening up our police precinct common areas opens up more than physical infrastructure; it further opens the lines of communication between New Yorkers and the men and women sworn to protect and serve them,” said Adams, a retired NYPD cop.
“I’m so proud that my administration has spearheaded the funding for a transformational redesign of stationhouse vestibules across Brooklyn, and I thank Mayor de Blasioand NYPD Commissioner [James] O’Neill for their partnership as we seek to advance neighborhood policing to its next phases. Bringing community and police together makes us a safer and more just city, something I know firsthand from my days in NYPD blue,” he added.
“We are at a time when community-police relations must be strengthened and in some cases repaired. The concept of a vibrant, welcoming space at the entrance of a precinct should provide the community with a positive experience when engaging police officers. I am proud to be the first council member to contribute to this new pilot program at the 73rd Precinct and look forward to working on the redesign of the three precincts within my district,” said Ampry-Samuel.
The lawmakers say the redesigns will complement the Precinct Enhancement Program, part of the administration’s demonstrated commitment to improving NYPD facilities, funded at $9.3M annually to enhance each of the precinct stationhouses with new flooring, painting, façade repair, lighting, furniture replacement, filing services and other facility enhancements.
Through Neighborhood Policing, the NYPD is greatly increasing cop and community interaction, while simultaneously strengthening the NYPD’s crime-fighting capabilities. These precinct enhancements will further the work to build trust between the community and officers and assist the NYPD in driving crime and disorder down beyond the record-low levels that have been achieved.
“The 72nd Precinct is a working precinct where officers meet with residents all the time. Our NYPD facilities should be able to accommodate the public and be accessible to everyone. The NYPD can help demonstrate a more open environment with improved facilities,” said Assemblyman and Assistant Speaker Felix Ortiz (D-Sunset Park, Red Hook).
Assemblywoman Latrice Walker (D-Brownsville) said, “In this day and age, we continue to see how impactful neighborhood policing is in our communities. I’m truly grateful to see these steps taken to make our precincts more welcoming. I trust that the new and improved precincts will further strengthen the connection between law enforcement and our residents.”
The specific designs for each precinct are still in development and will vary based on the building footprint. Completion is slated for 2020.
