Banks questions NYPD on Penn Track and 75th precinct split

Thank you, Chair, and good to see you, Commissioner, to your team.

Pentrack, the Pentrack.

We still have concerns and frustrations around the Pentrack.

If we can get an update for the 42nd Council District as to what's going on, and obviously with the warmer weather that is approaching, well, it's here already, residents constantly complain about the Pentrack.

And I know there's been ongoing stuff, operations back there, but it would be a great idea if you kept the community updated as to what was being done.

Obviously not to censor.

Their stuff, but at least let the community know the progress that is being made, or if any progress is being made, as opposed to continually see the visual we always see, and that's sex workers walking the streets back there.

And also, let me finish, the issue, you know, there's been multiple social media videos

that have been made about the Penn Track ongoing, and, you know, this has continued to put a blight or attempts to put a blight on the 42nd Council District.

But if residents are hearing and seeing PD is working on their behalf as far as to try to solve this issue, I think that would go a long way with helping out as far as on the PR side or communicating to the community.

So if we can get an update, I greatly appreciate that.

The chief of department will answer the question.

Sure.

So obviously, Chris, you know, many, many years in New York.

Good to see you.

Good to see you.

To dealing with the Pennsylvania track, in and around that Linden Boulevard area.

You're right, it is stubborn, and it is somewhat frustrating in that with the change in the law,

and a class action lawsuit that happened years ago, it has hurt our local enforcement, our local enforcement, meaning the precincts aren't really able to deal with the actual prostitution,

John situation, but our vice enforcement unit

consistently, consistently hits the pen track, as does our human trafficking team in and around some of those stubborn hotels, motels, 100 Jersey, things of that nature.

I've also tasked the precinct commander to put a plan in place to deal with

low-level crime in and around those hotels along the Penn Track, meaning the quality of life issues that we do see.

Right.

That facilitate some of the violence when it comes to, you know, the prostitution.

But I will tell you, it is the number one location in the city of New York when it comes to enforcement by our specialty units, namely VICE and the human trafficking side on VICE.

I know there was efforts up in Roosevelt also.

So if we can get the same type of attention, that would definitely, I know it made an impact in that particular district, I believe, from what I've heard.

So if we can get that same type of attention, I'll greatly appreciate it.

And the last thing pertaining to the 75th precinct, and I represent close to four commands for the city council, but particularly for the 75th precinct, and it's been a long-held

complaint or frustration, knowing that the 75th precinct is probably one of the largest commands throughout the entire city.

When will we be able to get an opportunity to split that command?

You know, on the southern part of the district, we had a major increase in population with the housing that's being built on that side.

And I believe it's long time needed for the 75th to be split.

I mean, it goes all the way from Starrett City all the way into on Jamaica, up in Sandy's district.

The residents want that.

You don't need to tell the chief of department that he is a former CEO of the 75.

I had a great relationship with him when he was the former.

So he understands that.

We just need to see action.

We need to see something done pertaining to that particular issue.

Because this goes back over 20, 30 years, the need to have the command split.

Even if it's some type of satellite that was put on the southern side, like in the Gateway area, it will go a long way.

I'll just answer very, very quickly.

Just like the police commissioner talks about the Bronx getting the most resources as far as now two patrol boroughs, by far the 7-5 gets the most resources in all of Brooklyn North other than some precincts in the Bronx.

And again...

You know, I had the most RMPs, I had the most cops, I had the most cameras, I had the most August cameras.

So, pointed, it is a large command with a lot going on, but that's why we put, you know, D.I.

Hines there has a lot of experience.

D.I.

Hines is doing a pretty good job.

Being in East New York, and he's going to do a phenomenal job.

And I will just ask Christine to speak about the process to build a new, to create a new

New precinct.

Go ahead.

Yeah.

So when we look at that, we take into account, obviously, all the factors in the precinct, the crime, the population, everything you mentioned.

But there's also, obviously, the real estate element of it, the most recent newly built.

precinct, the 116, was $108 million.

So right now we don't have funding for a new precinct, but if that were to move forward, we would need those resources and, you know, work.

I'm so happy to continue the conversation.

We look forward to having that side of our conversation.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.