Ms. Elizabeth Gill President of the 47th Precinct Council demanded action when crime was going way up last year in the 47th Precinct, and it seems that City Hall heard the noise with Mayor Bill de Blasio and Police Commissioner Bill Bratton coming to Cardinal Spellman High School to explain the new 'Summer All Out' police department program. It is a three month program called 'Summer All Out' in the ten highest crime police precincts, Mayor Bill de Blasio and Police Commissioner Bill Bratton praised the new program that was started last month in decreasing crime in the 47th Precinct in the Wakefield section of the Bronx with shootings down 70 percent for the past month.
In the past the Mayor said that there was a chain of command that had to be gone through to change the deployment of police officers in a precinct. Now that red tape has been cut to allow for an almost instant redeployment of officers where they may be needed when problems pop up. The 47th Police Precinct in Wakefield has been assigned 26 additional officers for three months, and several other officers commonly refereed to as 'House Mouse Officers' have also been deployed into the streets of the precinct. In all there are 330 additional officers that have been sent to the 10 precincts in the 'Summer All Out' Program which began on June 8th. Other Bronx police precincts in this three month program are the 43rd, 44th, and 46th according to Bronx Assistant Chief Commanding Officer Larry Nikunen.
Deputy Inspector Stevenson of the 47th Pct. had only praise for his police officers, and he thanked 47th Pct. Council President Elizabeth Gill for her help in getting his command the much needed manpower to reduce the high crime rate. Commissioner Bratton spoke of how the NYPD must keep coming up with new strategies to keep ahead of the bad guys. However when I asked the question - that it looks like the first thing that the new street officers are doing is looking at car registration and inspection stickers when they arrive on their beat. I then said that to me it looks like these officers might have a ticket quota to fill. Commissioner Bratton fired back to me, 'Well that's what it looks like to you', and then stepped away from the podium without any real answer. I asked one of the new officers the same question, and was told if the situation warrants a summons it will be given. 47th Pct. Commanding Officer Stevenson said 'No Comment' when I asked him the same question.
Above - Mayor de Blasio is flanked by police Commissioner Bill Bratton, and other police brass during the press conference.
Below - Commissioner Bratton outlines the 'Summer All Out' program, and the results that has been accomplished.
Above - 47th Police Pct. Commanding Officer Stevenson had only words of praise for the police officers in his command.
Below - Mayor de Blasio welcomes Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, and the mayor thanked the speaker for his help in Albany on matters of importance to the city.
