Dermot Shea
New York City Commissioner Dermot Shea announced Monday that “effective immediately,” the NYPD will disband its anti-crime unit and reassign roughly 600 plainclothes officers to other units.
“This is 21st-century policing,” he said.
“This is a seismic shift in the culture of how the NYPD polices this great city,” he said. “I would consider this in the realm of closing one of the last chapters of ‘Stop, Question and Frisk’…I think it’s time to more forward and change how we police in this city. We can do it with brains. We can do it with guile. We can move away from brute force.”
WATCH:
“This is 21st-century policing.”
Commissioner Dermot Shea says “effective immediately,” the NYPD will disband its anti-crime unit and reassign roughly 600 plainclothes officers to other units pic.twitter.com/SuA6yyyEtf
— Bloomberg QuickTake (@QuickTake) June 15, 2020
ABC 7 NY reported:
The NYPD announced Monday it is eliminating its anti-crime unit, a group of plainclothes officers who blend in to fight crime but have caused tension in relations with the communities.
Police Commissioner Dermot Shea described the move as a massive cultural shift for the department, saying the 600 officers who are part of the unit will be transitioned to other departments, including the detective bureau and neighborhood policing.
Anti-crime officers are often closest to criminals, and Shea said the move is “not without risk” as he questioned whether the decision would result in fewer firearms being taken off the streets. He said the risk is “squarely on my shoulders.”
PBA [Police Benevolent Association] President Patrick Lynch blasted the NYC Commissioner’s decision to disband the anti-crime plainclothes unit.
“Anti-Crime’s mission was to protect New Yorkers by proactively preventing crime, especially gun violence,” Lynch said in a statement. “Shooting and murders are both climbing steadily upward, but our city leaders have clearly decided that proactive policing isn’t a priority anymore. They chose this strategy. They will have to reckon with the consequences.”
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