NYPD Introduces New Community Policing Plan in Crown Heights

A bold new plan is being rolled out by the NYPD in the 71st Precinct which will change the face of patrol under the new Neighborhood Policing Plan, which will see the return of the ‘beat cop’ whose job is to become personally familiar with his ‘patrol sector’.

At a meeting with community activists, block associations, clergy and the neighborhood patrol, assistant chief Terry Monahan, the commanding officer of the Chief of the Departments office, introduced the new policing program, which is already in place in some of the most violent precincts in the Bronx and Harlem.

The ultimate goal of the new program is to foster relationships between the police and the communities in which they patrol.

Using a presentation he showed how the NYPD is phasing out its old system with the precinct area being split into ten sectors, instead switching to just four. “These officers will be in their sectors every single day they come to work” said chief Monahan.

Under the new system, newly redrawn sectors will reflect neighborhood boundaries — and the number of patrol cops will be increased to make sure officers can exclusively police within the boundaries.

The sector cops will have patrol cars but are also expected to walk the streets to meet with residents, shop owners and community leaders to listen to their beefs and gain their trust. The precincts will have two “neighborhood coordinating officers,” or NCOs, per sector who will oversee the relations effort.

These officers will be responding the 911 calls in their sectors, but will also be given a third of their time to go ‘off the radio’ and deal with communal issues.

“The 71st precinct will also be getting 18 new rookies in one weeks’ time and we will not be sending them out without proper instructions, they will each be in a [patrol] car with a veteran officer for six months and learn from his experience.

An additional aspect of the NCO program is special training courses on criminal investigation, NCO training and mediation training. “In one neighborhood we had an ongoing issue between residents and the owner of a popular bar and every night there would be 311 complaints for excessive noise. Since launching the NCO program, the officers were able to get the neighbors and the bar owner together for a meeting, ultimately leading to a mutually beneficial outcome and the end of repeated complains.

“This program was first rolled out in the most violent commands and since starting crime has gone down” he said, “we are down 106 shootings compared to last year and everywhere else in the country we are hearing about out of control crime rates. This is the new way of policing” concluded Mr. Monahan.

Deputy Inspector Norman Grandstaff followed by saying “to the public our metric of success was crime statistics, but it really is so much more. I am grateful to be here in the 71 just three months and to see to this new program from its infancy.”

Sargent Alfred Kelly, who will be leading the new NCO program, introduced the officers that will be permanently assigned to the new sectors. The crowd then had a chance to meet the officers and exchange contact information as well as express concerns that they can already get to work on resolving.

The new program is slated to begin on Monday, June 27th.

To learn more about the program click here.