The NYPD is expanding its Quality of Life Division by deploying Q-Team officers to every precinct in Manhattan. These specially trained officers will tackle low-level issues such as illegal vending, reckless scooter riding, and blocked sidewalks. The initiative aims to enhance residents' safety and follows a successful two-month pilot that resulted in over 6,100 summonses. The division leverages a new system called Q-Stat to track complaints and operational responses. Concerns regarding potential over-policing in under-resourced neighborhoods have emerged amid the expansion plan.
In just two months, the Quality of Life Division has done exactly what we set out to do: respond quickly, stay focused, and address the issues New Yorkers are calling about.
Now, we're scaling that success citywide. From illegal smoke shops to abandoned vehicles to reckless mopeds, these are the problems people see every day and expect action on.
Critics have expressed concerns that the initiative will lead to over-policing in under-resourced neighborhoods, a fear that's persisted since the division was first announced earlier this year.
Michael Sisitzky, assistant policy director at the NYCLU, likened it to 'broken windows' policing, a strategy that targets low-level offenses to prevent more serious crimes.
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