Squadron, Electeds to City: Why Were Nypd Public Housing Officers Redeployed to Ows, Other Non-Nycha Operations?

Electeds: NYCHA Pays Over $70 Million to NYPD For Dedicated Officers, Should Be Compensated When Officers Taken Away

NEW YORK – State Senator Daniel Squadron and his East Village colleagues in government have asked the City to provide clarity on the dedicated New York Police Department officers that are assigned to public housing developments but have recently been redeployed to other unrelated operations, such as Occupy Wall Street.

In 1994, the New York City Housing Authority and the City reached a memorandum of understanding that requires NYCHA to pay the NYPD for ongoing law enforcement services for NYCHA residents through "Police Service Areas" (PSAs). Currently, NYCHA pays over $70 million a year to the NYPD for these “special police services,” making it the only residential landlord in the City that is required to pay for police protection.

However, both NYCHA and PSA officers report that the dedicated officers have been regularly redeployed to non-NYCHA operations, taking critical protection away from public housing developments that need it most.

In a December 13th letter to Deputy Mayors Cas Halloway and Robert Steel, Senator Squadron, Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez, Assemblymember Brian Kavanagh, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, and City Councilmember Rosie Mendez asked the City to clarify the extent to which PSA officers have been redeployed to OWS and other operations unrelated to public housing, as well as why NYCHA is not compensated when officers are redeployed.

“There are many, we included, who are concerned that NYCHA is the only residential landlord in the city that is required to pay NYPD for police protection. But as long as NYCHA is required to pay, it should be compensated when officers are taken away from their responsibilities at public housing developments and the PSAs are required to operate on less than full force strength,” the elected officials wrote.

The City has yet to respond, and the elected officials followed up with a second letter on Friday.

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