By Gus Saltonstall
Starting on Monday, 15 additional police officers were assigned to the Upper West Side’s 20th Precinct, following a letter to New York Police Department Commissioner Jessica Tisch from City Councilmember Gale Brewer.
Brewer penned the letter on November 22 asking for more officers within the 20th Precinct, which stretches from West 59th to West 86th street. Brewer’s letter followed a string of high-profile crimes within the neighborhood, including a tourist slashed on the street and a shooting on Halloween night.
“I write on behalf of residents on the Upper West Side expressing public safety concerns throughout the neighborhood amid a reduction in police officers assigned to local precincts,” Brewer wrote.
At the beginning of December, West Side Rag learned that the number of police officers in the 20th precinct had decreased in recent years from roughly 120 to 80 officers. “Beginning today, there are 15 additional officers assigned to the 20th Precinct,” Brewer wrote Monday morning on the social media website X, meaning the number of officers within the Upper West Side precinct is now at around 95.
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The more the merrier. Keep ’em coming, thank you NYPD. I hope that it will have the intended effect of deterring the rampant criminal element in our neighborhood.
Maybe get the cops off their phones and maybe we wouldn’t need to hire more cops?
Less Candy Crush and Tinder and more time enforcing the law on subway platforms.
I was in two Western European capitals last month. Police officers in those cities were engaged, alert and generally cordial. Nothing like a significant portion of NYPD cops. It’s offensive and disheartening to see police officers, whether in front of The Met or inside Penn Station, so blatantly disengaged from their assigned tasks. “Finest”? No, not even close. But I’m hopeful that Jessica Tisch will instill clearly needed discipline.
she won’t. Chell being promoted to Chief of Department is a miserable sign
Whenever we get really cold weather, I see two cops hanging out in the CVS on 70th and West End Ave for hours at a time. Yes, I get that it’s cold. But if you signed on to do a job, just do it. That’s pretty much the end of the story.
There are no more beat cops so if they’re hanging out without a car then it’s likely they’re off-duty and working security for CVS through a special NYPD program. Same thing with the cop who hangs out at Fairway.
From appearances, the NYPD has been engaging in an illegal work slowdown since the riots in 2020.
Riots?
Yeah, there were riots of cops beating the crap out of protesters in Brooklyn, near the Barclays Center.
Yes, riots.
*cop riots*
Yeah – what’s the deal with that? My husband and I were just discussing this the other night after waiting for the subway at 72nd St alongside people either hanging onto signs, benches, poles for dear life or with their backs to the walls. How can cops actually SEE anything if they are on their phones? Or are they there purely as deterrents? Surely this must be against the rules – but they don’t even try to hide it.
God God, join the 21st century. The phone is their WORK tool. How do you think they get information — mental telepathy!? NO, dear, it’s not against the rules to look at their NYPD apps and Intranet. Those are their work cells.
I don’t buy that explanation at all because of the non-police activity that I see them doing on their phones. But also, how much information do they need for a prolonged time to do their job of patrolling? If they’re assigned to patrol the subway, what type of information do they continually need to perform that task? They all have radios to receive instant and urgent notifications if something happens in their vicinity. As many people mention, they are often in groups. How many within the group need to be on their phones at the same time if they really are checking their phones for work?
people “hanging onto signs, benches, poles for dear life”? Seriously? I’m on the subway approx 2 hours a day and haven’t seen anything like this. Just be aware of your surroundings and stay away from the tracks as the train approaches. Thwere ar millions of New Yorkers on the subway every day,
Cops on their phones are mostly using NYPD apps that give them information they need.
I have looked over the shoulders of many NYPD officers while they’re on their phones. What I’ve seen is lots of Facebook and videos.
Bruce, you always have such constructive things to say.
And YES – SERIOUSLY. And I am very well aware of the numbers, I’m telling you what I saw. I’m not a NYC newbie here, either, just FYI. I’ve been living here for many decades.
what would that information be? When break time is? That there are free do…?
why do you have a hard time imagining what an NYPD uniformed patrol officer app would do? police activity in the area is an example that readily comes to mind. Of course, you could find a friendly cop and politely ask them,
You are asking us to be observant (good) while not noticing people pressed against the wall?
what are the “walls” at 72nd street subway? this is obviously BS. just fearmongering exaggeration.
i take 1/2/3 from 96th to 42nd morning and night. there is nothing approaching what Leah said at either station. Last night i got off at 72nd uptown and walked the platform, back and forth. People were waiting for trains, AS NORMAL, without any “clinging to posts and signs, benches, poles for dear life.” the only walls at 72nd are very short and next to staircases.
what Leah wrote is just anonymous fear mongering and irresponsible,. when I say things, I put my name behind it. People know me in the community and know I stand behind my words.
Don’t believe me? WSR should send a reporter to 72nd st and walk the platform, like i did.
Are people afraid after the most recent video shoving? of course. But the inaccurate and lurid “tales from the crypt” make things much worse.
the subway IS NOT overwhelmed by crime, which doesn’t mean there is no crime. just use common sense: stay away from the platform edge when trains approach, and be aware of who is around you. The man who was pushed was standing near the edge and absent-mindedly looking at his phone.
this is not to “victim blame.” of course the fault was with the mentally ill pusher. But just as i wouldn’t suggest that people walk alone through Central Park late at night, use common sense on the subway.
and yes, the cops on platforms help quite a bit. There are NYPD apps that show police activity in the area. they are supposed to be looking at those.
Oh, right. So it must be that when they installed the NYPD app, they signed in using the Continue with Facebook option.
… because you’re creepily looking over their shoulders… and you KNOW everything they’re doing.
I actually asked a few cops as to what they do on their phones. But unlike some people here, i don’t have the chutzpah to think i’m their supervisor.
You are correct — all their work is now done on the cell. NO more little memo books and pens. These folks are too unobservant to notice they are living in the PAST.
It would be great if cops actually got out of their cars and walked the neighborhood, instead of sitting in their cars, engines running, staring at their phones.
I’m not a huge fan of Gale Brewer, but when she does something good, it needs to be noted. Thank You Gale.
Still waiting for something good to be done…..
What about the 90’s and 100’s? We need more cops there too. After years of cutting and defunding the police, this is what happens.
What years were they defunded? Because I def remember the years they got their funding increased
That’s a different precinct.
Bring them up to the 90s please
24 Precinct just got 10 new officers.
Additional cops are meaningless without reform of bail reform. Until Brewer and her Ciry Council colleagues get serious about dealing with repeat offenders and crimes committed with impunity, adding more cops is just treating the symptom, not the core problem.
We need to Vote Better then.
All the candidates for Mayor in 2025 seem to be progressive Democrats, with the exception of crazy cat person Curtis Sliwa. The Republicans have an opportunity here they are squandering with Sliwa.
Curtis Sliwa warned us about Eric Adams.
Sadly no one listened.
15 more people that don’t preform the duties they’re paid to do, GREAT!. We need real cops not a fluff force
Hopefully they’re undercover. Cops on the street don’t deter crime. They just defer where the crimes take place.
I would argue they do both.
Great – More double parked police and personal vehicles on Columbus near the precinct!
Thank you Gale Brewer! 🙏
Not sure the additional officers had anything to do with Gale’s letter.
Off topic, but with congestion pricing, what do our elected reps plan to do about Jerseyites and other visitors parking on the UWS? There will absolutely be more of this and it boggles the mind that our leaders haven’t addressed it.
That has not materialized.
Now get rid of bail reform. Hold and charge criminals.
I see the police in groups of 3 or 4 in the subway standing together talking and eating. Shouldn’t they be “patrolling?”
Hope the police are ON THE PLATFORMS, not upstairs.
that’s well and good as long as they are allowed to. do something!
Look quick before they’re reassigned to the subway
And meanwhile multiple people walk through turnstiles and gates and dont get fined!
I’ve been taking the subway on the UWS for more than 40 years…
Touch wood I’ve never felt scared or been attacked!
Sorry the city of New York once had a great police department, now it has blue potted plants. Cops do the minimum because it is better to not get involved. The DA wants to put Cops in jail, so why should they stick their necks out? Take the reports and go home.
failure to take police action is a disciplinable offense in the patrol guide. What you’re encouraging is theft from the taxpayers
Cops do not prevent crime. How about economic parity?
Thank goodness!
Thanks to NYPD for keeping us safe best they can, given their resources and the political pressures, all the B.S. from the top.
Thank you, Mayor “HIP HOP” Adams, for destroying this once great city.
Have a nice day.
They need to increase between 86-96th! And, the officers should be more aware, not on their phones and chit-chatting amongst one-another.