Res. No. 278
Resolution urging the New York City Police Department to continue to ensure that housing developments managed by the New York City Housing Authority are provided with adequate policing services of the highest quality.
By Council Members Seabrook, James, Liu, Mark-Viverito, Vacca and Weprin
Whereas, The New York City Police Department (NYPD) Housing Bureau is entrusted with providing security and delivering police services to over 430,000 residents and employees of public housing throughout New York City, serving the largest public housing authority in North America; according to its mission statement, the NYPD Housing Bureau is “dedicated to providing the highest level of professionalism, responsiveness, and sensitivity to the needs of the communities it serves”; and
Whereas, Working in close coordination and partnership with tenant patrols, community groups, and development managers, members of the NYPD Housing Bureau work at reducing crime and targeting violations and other conditions that detract from the quality of life for residents in New York City housing developments; and
Whereas, Police Service Areas (PSAs) are the basic patrol entities of the NYPD Housing Bureau, which are comparable to precincts; a PSA is responsible for the delivery of first line police service to public housing developments; and
Whereas, Given that there are only 9 police service areas throughout New York City, each PSA covers a large geographical area that typically encompasses several precincts, and patrols hundreds of buildings serving thousands of residents; for example, PSA 9 covers the entire borough of Queens; in an effort to improve coverage and reduce travel time for officers between assignments, satellite subcommands were established, however, only a few such satellite locations exist; and
Whereas, The current PSA structure has raised concerns about the quality of police services and swiftness of response to incidents in public housing developments; and
Whereas, Pursuant to the 1994 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) and the City of New York on the merger of the New York City Housing Authority Police Department and the NYPD, the city and the NYPD committed to maintaining public safety in public housing, to increasing the level of policing provided in public housing and to enhancing the quality, performance, and coordination of police services provided to the residents of the City’s public housing facilities; and
Whereas, It is vital that the city and the NYPD honor the commitments in the 1994 MOU so that residents of NYCHA’s housing developments are provided with optimum police coverage; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York urges the New York City Police Department to continue to ensure that housing developments managed by the New York City Housing Authority are provided with adequate policing services of the highest quality.
JPV
3/16/06