New York City residents in Brooklyn can now expect a more hands-on approach by the NYPD to their everyday concerns, as Mayor Eric Adams and NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch announce the borough-wide rollout of Quality of Life Teams. Initially piloted in six precincts, the Q-Teams have shown notable success, leading to their expansion across Manhattan, the Bronx, and now Brooklyn, as detailed in a recent statement on the NYC Mayor's Office.
Since the program's April launch, Q-Teams have been actively responding to a variety of non-emergency issues, improving response times by an impressive 47 minutes on average. In the pilot phase alone, they've handled over 16,000 calls and confiscated nearly 300 illegal e-bikes, scooters, and mopeds. Their efficiency hasn't gone unnoticed, as the initiative has already spread to every precinct in Brooklyn, and is set to extend to Queens and Staten Island in the coming weeks, the NYC Mayor's Office announcement revealed.
"Last week, we expanded our NYPD Quality of Life teams across Brooklyn as we continued to sweep out crime and deliver a safer city that is more livable, one neighborhood at a time," Mayor Adams said. "Every New Yorker deserves to live in a neighborhood that is safe from gun violence, that has clean streets, and that is free from illegal activities — and our administration is delivering exactly that to our city’s residents," as stated by the NYC Mayor's Office.
Commissioner Tisch emphasized the division's commitment to addressing "real complaints from real people." The result of the Q-Teams' efforts in Brooklyn includes responses to over 1,300 calls, towing 55 vehicles, and seizing 16 illegal vehicles, as per the city's press release. In addition to crackdowns on illegal vehicles, these teams are contributing to cleaning up encampments and executing inspections on unlicensed smoke shops, creating a more ordered and peaceful community environment, as per the NYC Mayor's Office.
New York State Senator Roxanne J. Persaud and Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez have both acknowledged the positive impacts of the Q-Teams on community safety and daily life, reinforcing that the initiative is an integral step towards improving the borough's quality of life.
