Reductions in violent crime, improved community relations, and a more representative NYPD
New York City Police Department Commissioner Edward A. Caban recently marked one year in office, and the work of the men and women of the NYPD continues to keep New York the safest big city in the nation. Over the past 12 months, Commissioner Caban has overseen a steady decline in major violent crime citywide, including ongoing reductions in murder, burglary, grand larceny, and auto theft. The department has also seen positive results in its ongoing fight against gun violence, with both shooting incidents and victims at a five-year low. These reductions are driven by the NYPD’s relentless work to rid our neighborhoods of illegal firearms: Thus far in 2024, NYPD cops have taken nearly 3,700 guns off our streets – adding to the more than 17,000 illegal guns seized since the beginning of the current mayoral administration.
Notably, at the midway point of this year, major crime is down in all of the department’s operational bureaus: in patrol precincts, in housing developments, and in the transit system. In our patrol precincts, this crime decline is an extension of the tireless work NYPD cops are doing in neighborhoods across the city. In our subway system, it is a reflection of a focused, concentrated effort to reverse the uptick of transit crime seen in early 2024 – an effort which has now driven transit crime 11 percent below pre-COVID levels. And in the city’s housing developments, recent drops in major crime are the result of the NYPD Housing Bureau’s unwavering commitment to the 154,000 families who live in the 2,100-plus NYCHA buildings citywide. And on top of this, the NYPD is continuing to hold violent criminals accountable at a historic rate, with major felony arrests currently at a 26-year high.
Highlights of NYPD crime-fighting and public-safety initiatives undertaken in the last year – many of which involve ongoing, close working partnerships with several federal, state, city, and other local agencies – include:
• Gun Violence Prevention Task Force;
• Auto Crime Suppression Plan;
• “Ghost gun” and 3-D printed gun long-term investigations;
• “Ghost car” taskforce (illegal/unregistered vehicles);
• Enforcement against illegal scooters, ATVs, and mopeds;
• “Operation Padlock to Protect” (illegal/unlicensed smoke and cannabis shops);
• Clearing of homeless encampments;
• Ongoing work with local Business Improvement Districts to combat retail theft, including the rollout of the Fusus Pilot Program;
• Enhanced use of technology to fight crime more efficiently and better serve New Yorkers, including the expansion of the NYPD’s drone program, the rollout of the subway metal detector initiative, upgrading the NYPD’s communication system, and more;
• Expansion of the International Liaison Program (in partnership with the New York City Police Foundation), with new posts opening in Bogotá , Colombia and Tucson, Arizona, to address modern public-safety issues of drug and human trafficking across the southern border.
Also in the last year, Commissioner Caban has led several internal department initiatives, including: the expansion of, and promotions within, the Special Victims Unit; enhanced training for School Crossing Guards, along with the distribution of improved safety equipment to all Guards; streamlining the departmental disciplinary process, clearing the backlog of cases and ensuring that both complainants and officers receive fairer and faster resolutions; breaking ground on the new NYPD Bomb Squad Operations Center at Rodman’s Neck; and overseeing the completion of the NYPD’s 116th Precinct, serving Queens.
Furthermore, the NYPD strongly supports New York City’s Minority & Women-Owned Business Enterprise (M/WBE) Program, and has made it a priority to ensure an increase of M/WBE utilization in the department’s contracting process. This is just a part of Commissioner Caban’s efforts to build a more inclusive, diverse police department – from his leadership team, to new recruit hires, and everyone in between. As the first Hispanic police commissioner in the 179-year history of the department, Commissioner Caban knows firsthand how much representation matters. New York is the most diverse city in the world, and today the members of the NYPD reflect that diversity more than ever before. What is more, nearly 70 percent of recruits hired in the past 12 months have been New York City residents – ensuring that the people who patrol our local neighborhoods actually come from those communities themselves. This makes NYPD officers more understanding and responsive to the unique needs of the people they serve, and it results in a safer city for all.
Under Commissioner Caban’s leadership, the NYPD has worked to deepen relationships with the community, especially New York City’s young people. As an example, the NYPD and the NYC Police Foundation recently announced the expansion of the Arthur Avenue NYPD Options Wellness Center. This facility already houses an Options Virtual Reality Lab with 3-D printers; art, music, financial literacy, and interactive gaming studios; a professional development room; and a computer lab. The next phase of the project includes a 1,600-square-foot hydroponic farm, a sports complex and boot camp area, trades classrooms, and a communication broadcast center. Other community-focused NYPD initiatives include enhancing the citywide Clergy Liaison Program, promoting transparency and collaboration at Precinct Community Councils and through CompStat 2.0, and reinstating a fully staffed Police Commissioner’s Liaison Unit to address the specific issues and concerns of protected classes from the highest levels of the department. The NYPD is committed to enriching outreach and engagement with New Yorkers of every age and background, and that work will continue in earnest.
"One year ago, Mayor Adams appointed me the 46th Police Commissioner of the City of New York, and entrusted me with the safety and security of our nation’s largest city," said Commissioner Caban. "When I joined the NYPD more than three decades ago, I never imagined that a young Puerto Rican kid from the Bronx would one day go from standing a foot post in the 40th Precinct to being the top cop in the greatest police department in the world. None of it would have been possible without the exceptional people supporting me along the way – including my incredibly talented executive team, and all the remarkable men and women who go to work every day to keep New York the safest big city in America. Together, we will make our city better tomorrow than it is today."
Senior housing isn’t just about providing shelter for the pillars of our community - it’s about empowering our elders to age in dignity, and to remain integral members of the communities they helped build.
With its 150-units of affordable housing for seniors 62 years young and up, Garden Towers Apartments does just that for the future seniors who will call the building home.
