THE BRONX (WABC) — The NYPD is splitting the Bronx into two separate policing zones, a move that officials say will help officers respond faster and focus on crime hotspots.<\/p>\n
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Gov. Kathy Hochul and other officials helped make the announcement Wednesday.<\/p>\n
The move creates two patrol boroughs, Bronx North and Bronx South, and puts nearly 200 additional officers on the streets.<\/p>\n
Officials hope the new structure will create a more focused and effective approach to fighting crime in the Bronx.<\/p>\n
“Today is long overdue for the residents of the Bronx, for the officers doing this work, and for a borough that has carried one of the heaviest public safety burdens anywhere in this city,” Tisch said. “For years, the Bronx continued operating under a single patrol borough command while the demands placed on this borough continued to grow. The creation of Bronx North and Bronx South is one of the most significant operational changes to policing in the Bronx in decades, and it is about equity, ensuring that Bronx residents receive the same level of oversight, resources, and operational support that communities in other boroughs have had for years.”<\/p>\n
Tisch said it’s not about responding to failure, it’s a decision to build on success and put more leadership directly into Bronx communities.<\/p>\n
The Bronx now joins Queens, Brooklyn, and Manhattan in operating under a North\/South patrol borough structure.<\/p>\n
“This is about providing the Bronx with the same standards that Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan already have, and about bringing a real commitment to lowering crime in this borough,” Mamdani said.<\/p>\n
It all comes as police commanders brace for the challenging summer months ahead. While violent crime is trending lower across the city, it remains stubbornly high in the Bronx.<\/p>\n
Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark praised the department’s strategy shift.<\/p>\n
“I think the police presence is going to be a deterrent. If people see that there’s a cop there, they’re going to think twice about committing a crime at that time,” Clark said. “And then more police we have covering the borough. The bigger the chance is that we’ll have deterrents. I think it’s going to be less crime.”<\/p>\n
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