By COLlive reporter
Photos: Itzik Roytman
As the Crown Heights neighborhood is marking the anniversary of the 1991 riots, New York City officials unveiled a plan to improve constituent waiting areas and public entryways at the 71st, 73rd, 75th and 77th precincts in Brooklyn.
The improvements to these precincts are designed to welcome community members into these spaces and provide more opportunity to build relationships with officers. The improvements will enhance the spaces for both residents and for the police officers who work at the precincts.
These upgrades are made possible by a $1 million investment in capital funding from Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, and a $250,000 contribution for the 73rd precinct from Council Member Alicka Ampry-Samuel. The specific designs for each precinct are still in development and will vary based on the building footprint. This work will be finished in 2020.
“While crime is at a record low in New York City, there is still more work to do to ensure that every New Yorker feels comfortable in their local precinct,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio at the press conference at the 71st Precinct on Thursday.
“These new improvements will help to make the precincts more welcoming, and I thank Borough President Adams and Council Member Ampry-Samuel for their commitment to strengthening the bond between community and police.”
With community and religious leaders standing beside him, de Blasio said: “When I hear the words “Crown Heights,” I think of these leaders who took a situation that once was so strained and created a place of unity and understanding.”
Present were 71st Precinct Captain Francis Giordano, NYPD Community Liaison Devorah Halberstam, Chanina Sperlin and Eli Cohen of the CHJCC, Mayor Bill DeBlasio’s Senior Community Liaison Pinny Ringel, Vincent Martinos of the community affairs division and Carl Cohen, President of the 71st Precinct Council.
These efforts will complement the Precinct Enhancement Program, part of the Administration’s demonstrated commitment to improving NYPD facilities, funded at $9.3M annually to enhance each of the precinct stationhouses with new flooring, painting, façade repair, lighting, furniture replacement, filing services and other facility enhancements.
In addition to this program, resources have been provided to NYPD for other areas of facilities improvements including preventive maintenance teams, facilities cleaning contracts, locker room renovations, HVAC and bathroom renovations.
The plan is to “provide a makeover to four Brooklyn precincts,” the Mayor said. “The whole look is going to be different. It’s going to be updated, new furniture, new paint jobs, ATM machines, a whole host of things that are going to make it a positive, welcoming environment. We are going to get to work on this right away and it will be done soon,” he said.
Through Neighborhood Policing, the NYPD has increased police and community interaction, while simultaneously strengthening the NYPD’s crime-fighting capabilities, officials said.
“The 71st Precinct needs to be renovated. I am grateful to the Mayor and the other elected officials for participating in this to effort to make improvements to the precincts in our community. This is a long time coming,” said Carl Cohen, President of the 71st Precinct Council.
Pia Raymond, Founder and CEO Creating Legacies said: “The 71st Pct. is a historic anchor in the Crown Heights, Flatbush, Wingate and Prospect Lefferts Gardens neighborhoods.
“In addition to being the workspace for the officers protecting and serving the community through policing, the 71st Pct is a hub of community engagement. For decades, residents have worked collectively with the NYPD to advance community policing through support of programs like the Explorers, the 71st Precinct Community Council, Clergy Council, Family Day and many others. ”
VIDEO:
We need to get rid of all the liberals who hate frum yidden
Watch the last minute of the video starting at 32:35. Amazing words from DeBlasio.