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COMMUNITY OP-ED AUGUST 23, 2024 | The Indian Eye 14

Making NYC safer, affordable

and more livable with community

partnerships for Quality of Life

Additionally, over the past several weeks, multi-agency teams have conducted sustained walkthroughs
of the neighborhood, cleaning up our streets and offering direct services to people in need

ERIC ADAMS

arlier in June, the Lower
East Side and New York City
Ewas shocked by an egregious
outburst of violence when a person
with severe mental illness stabbed On East 14th Street, our efforts will be anchored by a $1 million investment in a new NYPD Mobile Command Center, which will help law en-
three-people on 14th Street. While
overall crime is down in our city and forcement maintain a visible presence in the corridor (File/Agency photo)
instances like this are an outlier, one
violent act is one too many. This inci- actively working on similar commu- will be anchored by a $1 million in- of the neighborhood, cleaning up our
dent put a spotlight on unacceptable nity improvement coalitions across vestment in a new NYPD Mobile streets and offering direct services to
conditions that had been brewing in the city, from Midtown West to 125th Command Center, which will help people in need. We have installed
the community since COVID-19 and Street, on 110th Street, and around law enforcement maintain a visi- new lighting to improve visibility and
the need to deliver a comprehensive Washington Square Park — all areas ble presence in the corridor and be worked closely with local business-
strategy to improve public safety. in which we have seen unacceptable able to easily and immediately meet es. Using creative solutions, we even
Our administration took immediate quality-of-life issues take hold. the community’s needs. The NYPD created a WhatsApp channel so that
action — as we always will — when These efforts are part of our Command Center, which was se- business leaders have an open line
public safety is threatened. “Community Link” initiative to work cured through the budget we passed of communication to the local police
Making New York City safer, with multiple agencies, as well as in June, is equipped with state-of precinct to express concerns and re-
more affordable, and more livable community partners, to make our the-art technology and resources so spond to issues in real-time.
for working-class New Yorkers has city safer and more livable for all. that we can respond promptly and Creating and maintaining safe
always been the mission of our ad- Over the last 18 months, Commu- effectively to all kinds of incidents — communities involves many partic-
ministration. And a key aspect of nity Link has responded to over 800 whether they be quality-of-life issues ipants, including officers of the 9th
livability is addressing issues of dete- complaints and conducted over 600 or major crimes. This is something and 13th Precincts, who have worked
rioration in public safety and quality operations to address quality-of-life the community has been asking for, diligently to reduce crime in the
of life. Our administration refuses concerns raised by the communities and our administration was proud area. But we must continue to work
to tolerate an atmosphere where they serve. Our partners include the to promptly deliver the resources together to keep our communities
anything goes, and issues like illegal NYPD, Homeless Services, Sanita- needed to maintain public safety. safe and livable, and the 14th Street
vending, retail theft, substance use, tion, and the Department of Health The Command Center will initially Community Improvement Coalition
the mental health crisis, scaffolding, and Mental Hygiene, as well as our be stationed in the vicinity of 14th will do that by combining the weight
and unlicensed cannabis shops have local elected officials and commu- Street between 1st Avenue and Ave- of our city services with the force of
no place on our streets. nity groups, because we know how nue A but will have the option to be community members. Our adminis-
That is why our administration important it is to work together to mobile as needed for maximum effi- tration will always remain vigilant in
has formed the “14th Street Com- achieve improvements that bene- ciency and effectiveness. delivering public safety, here and all
munity Improvement Coalition” on fit neighborhoods both in the short Additionally, over the past sev- over New York City.
East 14th Street between 1st Avenue term and long run. eral weeks, multi-agency teams have Eric Adams is the Mayor of
and Avenue A. And it is why we are On East 14th Street, our efforts conducted sustained walkthroughs New York City, NY

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