Benny Polatseck/Mayoral Pictures Workplace
Bodegas are on each nook of New York Metropolis, there for us in any respect hours, and the bodegueros who service them change into our household. So, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit our metropolis, our bodegas had been a lifeline to our native communities. We relied on them for bathroom paper, snacks, diapers, and a way of group at a time of utmost uncertainty.
And whereas New York Metropolis has seen declines in main crimes, it’s necessary that we take extra steps to deal with the crimes our bodegueros proceed to face and provides them a approach contact 911 throughout an emergency with out having to search out their cellphone or concern being attacked by a felony. Now, because of the partnership of the Adams administration and the United Bodegas of America, our bodegueros will have the ability to click on a button throughout emergencies and NYPD will probably be on their approach with out anybody figuring out.
New York Metropolis will probably be investing $1.6 million to fund “SilentShields” buttons at 500 bodegas that may immediately name the NYPD throughout emergencies. These buttons will instantly direct metropolis sources to those small companies in order that New York Metropolis is usually a lifeline for them, similar to bodegas had been a lifeline for us throughout COVID.
We’re beginning by distributing these buttons to bodegas within the areas with the very best ranges of crime in order that staff and prospects, in communities who want them essentially the most, will probably be secure and, extra importantly, really feel secure.
Now, staff could have extra peace of thoughts if an armed felony comes right into a bodega to ransack their merchandise or steal their money and we are going to make sure that our small enterprise house owners can proceed to make a residing and keep open for the neighborhood.
And that’s not all: final yr, we introduced a program that lets native companies voluntarily share surveillance video in real-time with the NYPD by their closed-circuit tv cameras as they search to unravel crimes.
By permitting bodegas to combine their safety cameras with their native NYPD precinct, we are able to collect real-time intelligence on crimes and swiftly apprehend people who’re accountable, whereas making NYPD extra environment friendly and involving the area people in enhancing high quality of life.
Including to all this, because of town increasing eligibility necessities for brand spanking new officers and continued metropolis funding, the Adams administration is on path to reaching 35,000 uniformed NYPD officers by the autumn of 2026. Meaning that we are going to have extra law enforcement officials out there to answer calls coming from bodegas, too.
To our bodegueros: New York Metropolis has your again.
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