The mayor and police commissioner of NYC recently hosted a press conference to provide an update on an initiative that promotes safety and lessening crime.
On Wednesday, July 15, Mayor de Blasio and police commissioner William Bratton spoke at Cardinal Spellman High School about the progress of the Summer All Out initiative, an initiative targeting anti-violence with focus on high-crime areas and neighborhoods across NYC.
Since the implementation of the initiative last summer, the NYPD has temporarily reassigned 330 administrative officers to boost patrols in ten high-crime precinct areas and four high-crime police service areas.
At the same time, the NYPD has also partnered with community members, social service providers and police organizations to specifically target gangs and street crews that pose threats to their neighborhoods.
As a result of these actions, Summer All Out is already on track to exceed prior expectations.
Between Monday, June 8 and Monday, July 13, shooting incidents have decreased by almost 30 percent in the targeted precinct areas compared to the same five-week period last year (39 shooting incidents compared to 55 incidents in 2014).
The press conference was held specifically in the confines of the 47th Precinct which has seen a 70 percent reduction in shootings since the beginning of this year’s program, and has had only three shootings in the five-week period compared to ten shootings during the same period in 2014.
The announcement of these positive stats follow the administration’s launch of ‘One City: Safe and Fair Everywhere’, a new neighborhood policing model designed to transform NYC’s approach to policing, while keeping crime at historic and all-time lows.
“Bringing police and community closer together builds mutual trust and respect, and results in reduced crime by emphasizing proactive, preventative policing,” said the mayor.
“We are seeing the positive results of that model right here in the 47th Precinct. Five weeks into Summer All Out and just a few weeks after announcing our new neighborhood policing vision, neighborhood residents and officers and embracing one another and shootings are down in some of our high-crime precincts. This is proof that, together, we can create a city that is safe and fair everywhere.”
“We’ve been working hard to reduce violence and crime across the city, and as evidenced here in the 47th Precinct, we are having some success – but we can’t do it alone,” said police commissioner William Bratton. “It take the collective effort of our community, our police and our local leaders to continue building trust and understanding. But with your help, we will continue to build One City: Safe and Fair Everywhere.”
“I knew that we couldn’t have a crime-free neighborhood unless community and police worked together,” said Elizabeth Gill, president of the 47th Precinct Community Council. “Crime is down in the 47th Precinct and I thank the mayor and police commissioner for listening to us, taking action, as well as providing leadership and support.”
