Mayor Eric Adams and Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Chauncey Parker announced a pilot program Monday that strategically targets high-crime streets in a multi-agency effort to address longstanding needs and problems.
The program, dubbed Every Block Counts, was launched in October with a specific focus on residential blocks within two NYPD precincts known for having the highest number of violent crimes, in particular shootings, over the past five years.
The pilot program targets five blocks within the 46th Precinct in the Bronx— which covers the neighborhoods of Fordham, University Heights, Mount Hope and Morris Heights—and several streets in Brooklyn’s 73rd precinct, which covers Brownsville and Ocean Hill.
The blocks in the Bronx include Morris Avenue, Elm Place and Walton Avenue; meanwhile the program covers Bristol Street, Christopher Avenue, Dumont Avenue, Lott Avenue and Mother Gaston Boulevard in Brooklyn.
The program coordinates efforts among various city agencies, including police, fire, parks, sanitation, transportation, buildings, health and more. In the announcement, Adams pointed to results achieved thus far, including zero shootings in the two targeted areas over the past 56 days, as well as the completion of 111 out of 146 quality-of-life problems identified by the communities.
The 46th precinct has seen a rise in shootings and murders since last year, according to NYPD CompStat data. In 2023, there were 42 shooting incidents, 53 shooting victims and 13 murders in the 46th precinct. So far this year, there have been 49 shooting incidents, 64 shooting victims and 25 murders.
‘Remarkable’ progress
The mayor spoke from Bean Morris Community Garden near Morris Avenue and Grand Concourse — named for resident Carrie Cuthbertson’s son Devon, nicknamed Bean, who was shot and killed nearby in 2019 at age 24.
Cuthbertson, who said she has long been active in her community, has now become a “Block CEO” with Every Block Counts, acting as a liaison between the community and city agencies. As part of the program, she has been working with fellow residents on a list of neighborhood safety and quality of life concerns. Recent progress under the program has been tangible to her and her neighbors, she said.
“For the first time in years, we saw rapid improvement. The transformation was nothing short of remarkable,” said Cuthbertson.
A Halloween event with treats for hundreds of neighborhood kids, funded by donations, was a recent example of how the community has united and improved, she said. “Our streets are now clean, graffiti is gone, trash is picked up, and the area feels brighter and more inviting. Most importantly, we feel safer.”
Council Member Pierina Sanchez, whose district office is nearby, said she has experienced ducking bullets in the area while pregnant with her first child. Just 4% of the city’s blocks are the site of almost all shootings, she said, and the program acknowledges that “the 4-6 [Precinct] is different than the rest of the City of New York.”
While Sanchez said she does not always agree with Adams, she applauded the pilot program, calling it an example of “partnership despite differences and progress despite obstacles.”
Assembly Member Yudelka Tapia recalled the alarming shooting deaths in September of three people within blocks of each other in the Burnside area. Since the launch of Every Block Counts, she said she has not received any emergency calls from the precinct captain.
“This fight is for us to have, and let’s do it, let’s win it,” she said.
The mayor said given these early positive results across the 10 focus blocks of the pilot, he plans to expand Every Block Counts to more locations. Adams, who has expressed frustration at the lingering perception of a rise in crime in the city, said the program is part of the comprehensive effort to address both crime and quality-of-life concerns, and his office issued a new report on various initiatives aimed at decreasing crime throughout the city.
Reach Emily Swanson at eswanson@schnepsmedia.com or (646) 717-0015. For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes
