71st Precinct First to get New ‘Community Lounge’

by CrownHeights.info

Crown Heightses 71st police precinct will be getting a new and first of its kind “community lounge,” whose aim is to change community perception and daunting feeling of entering a police precinct. The new initiative was announced at a press conference lead by New York City’s mayor Bill DeBlasio in Crown Heights.

Surrounded by activists and elected officials the mayor spoke of the unwelcoming feeling inside police precinct’s, and the dread that fills those that should need to go in a speak with a police officer.

“Precincts weren’t built to be welcoming,” said DeBlasio. “We are trying to create a reality in every precinct that community member’s and police feel like they are on the same side, on the same team and that the precinct can be the home ballpark.”

He announced that the changes will be coming to four Brooklyn precincts, including the 71st, 73rd, 75th, and 77th.

“The whole look is going to be different. Updated, new furniture, paint jobs, ATM machines, and host of things that will make it a positive and welcoming environment. It will be done soon and it will change how we interact with the police” said DeBlasio.

DeBlasio also addressed the recent rash of videos depicting verbal abuse of police officers, “it’s only a few people out of a city [of million]. They are not helping us move forward and heal the wounds of our past. They are hurting all of us and that should not be accepted or tolerated,” he said.

Neighborhood policing has made us the safest big city in America. Join me at the @NYPD71pct #inBrooklyn for more. https://t.co/MrXIHCftDw

— Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) August 23, 2018