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NYPD officials outline crime trends and roll out quality-of-life "Q team" for Queens
Summary
Patrol Borough South and North officials reported overall drops in crime for parts of Queens but noted increases in shootings and homicides in some precincts, described a new quality-of-life "Q team" to begin in August, and fielded resident concerns about fireworks, scooters, street vending and illegal on-street auto repairs.
Patrol Borough South and Patrol Borough North commanders told the borough board that overall index crimes are down in many areas of Queens while acknowledging localized increases in serious incidents and quality-of-life complaints. Officials outlined a borough-wide rollout of a quality-of-life "Q team" to address abandoned vehicles, scooter enforcement, noise and related neighborhood conditions.
Chief Christopher McIntosh, commanding Patrol Borough South, said year-to-date crime in Queens South was down about 6.5% and that five of seven major categories showed decreases. He cautioned that some categories were up: reported rapes rose after changes to the law broadened the statutory definition, and there was a slight uptick in burglaries and homicides in the period under review. "We're down in Queens South here to date, we're down 6.5%," McIntosh said, adding that the borough's officers had focused on saving lives and addressing quality-of-life problems.
Patrol Borough North reported larger boroughwide declines: the borough was down roughly 14% year to date, Patrol Borough North leadership said, with decreases in robberies, felony assaults and grand larcenies. However, shootings were up in Queens North (20 vs. 9 in the comparable period) and homicides increased in the borough overall. Patrol Borough North described a 55% closure rate on shooting cases in the period reported and said many shootings were motive-related disputes.
Both borough commanders described a quality-of-life enforcement initiative they plan to roll out in mid-August. The new Q team is built from precinct-level resources and will be augmented by traffic personnel and other units. McIntosh said each participating precinct will receive a dedicated Q-team unit; the staffing example provided at the meeting was two sergeants and 16 police officers assigned to a precinct's Q team, subject to adjustment based on conditions.
Officials presented multi-topic enforcement data at the meeting. Patrol Borough North reported seizing more than 1,700 scooters, issuing over 8,500 scooter summonses and making 292 related arrests year to date. Police also described targeted operations addressing prostitution and vice on Roosevelt Avenue and other corridors, and said park crimes were down 41% for the borough. A police representative noted that scooter-related enforcement partly targets tandem riders and delivery scooters used in crimes: "Our focus is to target those individuals that are operating the scooters illegally and recklessly," a commander said.
Board members and community representatives used the session to raise recurring local concerns. Several asked for data on the policing impact of fireworks over the July 4 period; Betty Brayton (public comment) requested statistics on radio runs and response-time impacts related to fireworks so boards and precincts can plan deployments and evaluate overtime costs. McIntosh said the department deploys overtime teams for July 4 and confiscated fireworks in specific enforcement operations, but he did not have comparative statistics available at the meeting and said he would follow up.
Residents also pressed police and city officials over street vending, illegal on-street car washing and automotive repairs, and inconsistent routing of 311 complaints. Several community board members and district managers said they were told by 311 to contact other agencies (for example, sanitation) when they believed an NYPD response was appropriate; borough leadership and police recommended a multi-agency approach and said the city council is considering legislation to expand licensing and enforcement options for vending. McIntosh said the NYPD is prepared to lead targeted operations and work with other agencies where enforcement is required.
The borough commanders closed by inviting boards to file precise 311 complaints or detailed tips so police can investigate vendors or sellers that victims can identify by name, vehicle or location. "If you know somebody who's actually selling fireworks and you know their name, you know what car they're driving... give us that as well. We will look at it," a police official said.
The presentation concluded with board thanks to the NYPD and a pledge to follow up on specific hot spots and agency coordination for vending, fireworks and illegal on-street commerce.
