MANHATTAN, N.Y. (PIX11) -- After a violent few weeks in the East Village, Mayor Eric Adams called on the NYPD to implement a plan to combat crime directly.
PIX11 saw firsthand how teamwork and technology were being used to achieve this last month; crime was rampant in the East Village around East 14th Street.
Illegal vendors were selling various goods, a practice born from the pandemic. Ultimately, tensions boiled over, resulting in a fatal triple stabbing. Since that tragic incident, significant changes have been made.
"There are currently no vendors, and there has been a continuous police presence day and night," said native New Yorker Rona Economou.
More officers are now on patrol, supported by new digital surveillance in the area.
"If our officers are addressing another issue two blocks away, these cameras will provide live updates so we can redeploy them," explained Inspector Dan Orlando of the NYPD's 13th Precinct.
For the first time, officers in the 9th and 13th Precincts are equipped with live cameras. The CCTV feeds are accessible on their mobile devices and inside the station houses. Thus, there is no more waiting for a 911 call to respond to an emergency or incident.
Another new approach is the collaboration between the two precincts, which are no longer divided by the double yellow line on East 14th Street. Gone are the days of ignoring problems on the other side of the street, explained Ins. Orlando and Capt. Pamela Jeronimo.
"We must collaborate on joint operations and solutions," said Jeronimo, the commanding officer of the ninth precinct.
The neighboring precincts are intensifying efforts following incidents, including stabbings and consecutive shootings in Tompkins Square Park. But despite double-digit drops in major crimes this year, the mission has not yet been accomplished, police said.
"When residents thank me on the street, I know we're on the right track," said Inspector Orlando.
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