One of New York City‘s most violent neighborhoods has banned uniformed police officers – all in the name of safety.
A two-block corridor in a crime-plagued stretch of Brownsville, along Mother Gaston Boulevard, where shootings and robberies have long terrified residents, was declared a ‘police-free zone’ for five days earlier this month.
Instead of officers, community patrols moved in under an arrangement funded by the city itself under a controversial initiative known as the Brownsville Safety Alliance (BSA).
The project, once a twice-yearly pilot under former Mayor Bill de Blasio, now runs four times a year and aims to prove that residents can keep the peace on their own.
During its latest operation, from October 7 to 11, uniformed officers were told to stay out of the two-block zone, within the NYPD’s 73rd Precinct, from noon to 6pm, leaving a community group called Brownsville In Violence Out to respond to nonviolent calls.
A flyer posted in the area declared that ‘no on-duty uniformed members of service are to enter this area unless responding to an extreme police emergency (e.g. person shot, stabbed, etc.),’ adding that the initiative was being ‘monitored at the Police Commissioner level.’
The sign was first reported by retired officer John Macari on his podcast and quickly ignited fury within NYPD ranks.
‘There is no police free zone,’ an NYPD spokesperson told the Daily Mail.
‘That was an unauthorized sign that was posted, and the signs have been removed. Nothing has changed about our operations or deployment there.
‘We can’t control if people choose to call 911 or not, we can only control how the calls are routed, and the NYPD is not passing any 911 jobs to these groups. The NYPD is handling all calls for service.’
A notorious patch of Brooklyn, long known as one of New York City’s most violent stretches, is now trying to fight crime by banning uniformed cops. Brownsville is pictured
A two-block zone in Brownsville, within the NYPD’s 73rd Precinct, was quietly transformed into a so-called ‘police-free zone’ as part of a taxpayer-funded experiment called the Brownsville Safety Alliance (BSA)
One police source warned the experiment ‘has the potential to go sideways quickly.’
‘This is the way that this new guy wants us to go,’ the source said, referring to Queens Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, a self-described socialist and rising mayoral frontrunner who has praised the program.
‘The brass are trying to appeal to him. It’s insane,’ the source told the New York Post
Dushoun ‘Bigga’ Almond, the program director for Brownsville In Violence Out, confirmed that Mamdani has backed the concept and even visited one of the police-free zones last April.
‘He believes in what we do,’ Almond said. ‘They’re not gone, but they give us our room to control the block.’
Almond said his team, around 20 community members, handle low-level 911 calls like ‘a disturbance in a store’ or ‘guys drinking on the block.’
‘We use our credibility,’ he said. ‘We try to alleviate the situation. There’s really no pushback because they don’t want any problems.’
Each event includes tables for locals seeking help with healthcare, housing, addiction, or employment.
A flyer posted in the area declared that ‘no on-duty uniformed members of service are to enter this area unless responding to an extreme police emergency (e.g. person shot, stabbed, etc.),’ adding that the initiative was being ‘monitored at the Police Commissioner level’
The Brownsville Safety Alliance are a gun violence protection program helping to keep the area safe
Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa blasted the initiative as ‘a reckless experiment that invites chaos and puts residents and businesses at risk’
Democratic mayoral front running Zohran Mamdani was famously anti-cop in the past but has repeatedly stated he no longer supports defunding the police and has promised to maintain the NYPD’s current staffing levels
‘It was good, it was quiet,’ Almond said of the latest operation. ‘We had a gas main leak, that was it. That’s real good news.’
The BSA is run under the umbrella of CAMBA, a Brooklyn-based nonprofit that has received over $915 million in city contracts since 2020. It remains unclear how much of that money funds the BSA directly.
Many residents said they supported the group’s intentions but doubted it could replace police entirely.
‘They do a better job because they talk – ‘Yo, what’s going on? What’s the problem?’ said Jose, a 57-year-old hardware store worker. ‘People listen.’
Still, he noted that even with the community patrol, ‘a fight broke out among teenage boys with metal pipes and scooters,’ forcing a police car from the 73rd Precinct to roll by with flashing lights as the group scattered.
Cellphone store employee Jamixa Alvarez, 28, said she admires the idea of local empowerment but called it unrealistic. ‘In 2025, being a cop isn’t the easiest job,’ she said. ‘But right now we need our cops.’
The Brownsville Safety Alliance has more than 65 community partners to help local residents
The BSA is run under the umbrella of CAMBA, a Brooklyn-based nonprofit that has received over $915 million in city contracts since 2020. It remains unclear how much of that money funds the BSA directly
Despite some reductions in shootings and murders – down 83% and 40% respectively in the 73rd Precinct so far this year other crimes have surged.
Robberies are up 23%, Felony assaults up 26%, Burglaries up 40% and Grand larcenies up 30%
‘Historically, this is one of the most dangerous parts of NYC when we think about citywide shooting and homicide areas,’ said Christopher Hermann, a former NYPD supervisor.
‘I am not sure how designating this as a police-free zone will help residents feel or actually be safer.’
Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa blasted the initiative as ‘a reckless experiment that invites chaos and puts residents and businesses at risk.’
‘Community groups can and should partner with the NYPD,’ Sliwa said, ‘but sidelining cops in a high-crime area is exactly the backwards approach Zohran Mamdani is cheering on, and I’ll end it on Day One.’
One longtime Bronx officer was even blunter: ‘If this is what these politicians want, let them have it,’ the cop said. ‘Let it burn down and then they’ll want us back.’