Crime
December 28, 2007
City Assigning Newbie Cops to Crime-Ridden Areas
Starting tomorrow, the NYPD is stationing 645 rookie cops in Brooklyn neighborhoods—including Crown Heights, Bed-Stuy, Brownsville, Flatbush and East New York—where shootings and robberies have increased over the past year. The new officers will be assigned to the neighborhoods for six-month terms, according to an article in today’s Daily News. East New York had the highest number of murders of any neighborhood in the city last year (31); there was a 15 percent rise in burglaries in Crown Heights; deadly assaults in Brownsville increased by 27 percent; and the number of shooting victims in Bed-Stuy rose from 71 to 91. Some residents and politicians are questioning whether the stepped-up police force will only be “a temporary Band-Aid” or worse—completely ineffective. “We don't need more cops, we need more jobs, recreational centers and parks," said City Councilman Charles Barron. "You'll have a bunch of rookies out in East New York, most of them white, scared to death and standing on our street corners with no knowledge of our communities."
645 Rookie Cops to Hit High-Crime Streets [NY Daily News]
Photo by lesterhead.