Commissioner O'Neill Focuses On Neighborhood Policing In 'State Of The NYPD' Address

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Police Commissioner James O'Neill released his "State of the NYPD" report at a breakfast in Midtown on Wednesday.

O'Neill laid out what he called full conversion of the neighborhood policing strategy in New York City, 1010 WINS' Juliet Papa reported.

"This year we're expanding into our 12 transit districts and finishing up the precincts," O'Neill said.

Currently two-thirds of the city's 77 precincts involve neighborhood policing.

O'Neill explain the way it works is "information flows from neighborhood residents to teams of sector cops to precinct detectives."

O'Neill is also encouraging residents to get involved with the Build a Block program, which involves small meetings with neighborhood officers to address local issues.

Since the spring, 10,000 people have attended.

O'Neill credits the department's shift towards neighborhood policing for making the city the safest it's been in three generations. He noted that in 2017 crime was down in every category with the NYPD investigating 292 homicides -- the lowest number since World War II.

While the commissioner touted the city's safety, he did add that the threat of terrorism is always a reality.

In:
• New York City Police Department