Communities will help choose NYPD precinct commanders
NEW YORK - For the first time in the NYPD's long history, the communities they serve will help choose who leads local police precincts.
"This is unprecedented in the history of the NYPD," said Mayor Bill de Blasio. "We're bringing the voices of the community forward."
According to Police Commissioner Dermot Shea, every major decision passes through a precinct's commanding officer, but it is also their responsibility to engage with the community.
"I had the privilege to service twice in two different precincts in the Bronx as a precinct commander, and in many ways you are like a miniature Mayor of that command," Shea said.
Previously, commanding officers would rotate frequently without any input from the community.
Now, the community, by way of the Police Precinct Community Councils will put forth three to five names to fill the post, with the final decision ultimately resting with Commissioner Shea.
The initiative was the idea of Brooklyn Borough President, NYPD veteran and Mayoral candidate Eric Adams.
"Our communities deserve a role in choosing the leadership that has so much power in ensuring officers are doing their job well and doing it fairly," Adams said.
Some hope that reforming the selection process will usher in larger, more substantial reforms to the NYPD as a whole.