The Case For More Cops

Numbers and statistics can be very important barometers of activity—but too often they fail to tell the whole story. A prime example can be seen in the impressive citywide crime statistics that were generated during the 12 years of former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s administration. 

During Bloomberg’s tenure as its chief executive, New York was fortunate to benefit from the New York Police Department’s successful record of reducing citywide murder and violent crime rates to levels so low that the Big Apple was widely seen as the safest large city in the country. However, an overreliance on policing tactics and strategies such as stop-and-frisk became increasingly controversial during former Police Chief Ray Kelly’s tenure, and raised concerns about the NYPD’s profiling of people of color—particularly young African-American and Latino men—while damaging the relationships between community residents and police on the streets. 

As too many of my constituents—and residents throughout other parts of New York’s five boroughs—know firsthand, stop-and-frisk also proved ineffective in reducing an alarmingly high volume of gun violence in those communities that have been experiencing a persistently high level of street crime. Fortunately, a May 19 New York Times piece entitled “Killings Surge in North Bronx, Testing New Police Tactics” indicates that the NYPD is beginning to pursue a more collaborative—and less confrontational— approach to street crime and gun violence. This is an important and dramatic shift in the NYPD’s crime-fighting efforts that I applaud and welcome—and as the department enhances its commitment to work more closely with residents, I would expect many of my constituents to join in supporting this new initiative. 

But it is hard to envision that this expanded effort to involve community residents will be successful without the commitment of additional resources, particularly additional uniformed personnel, in those communities most impacted by gun violence and the related street crime. In boroughs like the Bronx— which experienced 27 murders in the first four months of 2014 as compared with 21 murders in the same period last year—this precinct level commitment of additional police officers is essential to providing consistent visibility, and comes as our local precincts are starving for more resources. 

The City Council’s proposal to add 1,000 uniformed officers to the ranks of the NYPD is specifically designed to provide Commissioner Bill Bratton and his command staff with the trained personnel needed to assure all New Yorkers that they will be safe in their homes and communities. Allowing for an average increase of 13 uniformed officers per precinct throughout New York City, it would have a significant impact upon police staffing patterns on the ground in the communities of greatest need, and allow a more effective response to gun violence, gang activity, domestic violence, crime in public housing and other key public safety issues. 

Strongly supported by the 26 members of the New York City Council who comprise the Black, Latino and Asian Caucus, the Council’s proposal to add 1,000 precinct level officers is meant to supplement and enhance the crime prevention and policing initiatives that have already been undertaken by Mayor Bill de Blasio and Commissioner Bratton. As chair of the Council’s Public Safety Committee, I intend my support for the proposal to be neither adversarial nor to detract from the positive anticrime initiatives and efforts that the NYPD and many of my constituents engage in each and every day. 

Protecting the public safety of New Yorkers from all walks of life— regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender, sexual preference or the community where they live—is a tall order that requires a commitment of substantial resources. While expanding the NYPD’s staffing rolls by 1,000 uniformed officers would entail the additional expenditure of nearly $100 million, it is well worth the investment and would build upon the success our city has already achieved in protecting all New Yorkers. 

Vanessa L. Gibson represents the 16th District of the New York City Council and is the chair of the Council’s Public Safety Committee.