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Community board hears police staffing shortfalls as precinct credits leadership for recent crime reductions
Summary
At a joint Community Board meeting April 16, police representatives reported reduced patrol staffing and officials and residents discussed effects on patrol coverage; a resident praised the deputy inspector for motivating officers and lowering crime.
Police representatives told the Bronx County/City Community Board at a joint meeting April 16 that the precinct is operating with fewer officers than in previous years and that the department is reallocating internal units to maintain patrol coverage.
The staffing shortage means fewer marked cars available for the precinct and reassignment of units normally assigned to domestic violence and crime analysis to patrol duties, officials said. Board members and residents asked for crime statistics and for the precinct to send neighborhood coordination officers to future meetings.
Why it matters: Board members said patrol levels affect enforcement of traffic and noise complaints, response capacity and community confidence. Residents pressed for clearer data and for regular precinct council meetings to improve communication.
In discussion, board members asked for the precinct’s breakdown of complaints and arrests over a recent 28-day period; police representatives said they were in the process of gathering those figures. Officials described current staffing as substantially lower than in a previous year, saying the precinct had “about 220 officers at 1 point. Now we’re down to 140.” The shortage was presented as citywide but with local impacts on patrol car availability.
Robert Press, a longtime neighborhood resident, credited the precinct’s current leadership. “The former captain, now the deputy inspector, has done a terrific job at the precinct and has motivated the officer to work harder, and that’s why crime is down at the precinct,” Press said during public comment.
Police described operational steps taken to cover gaps, including temporary redeployment of personnel from specialty units and efforts to fill vacancies. The precinct contact provided a direct line for neighborhood matters: “I’ll give you my number as well. It’s Officer Gomez. It’s (929) 383-9105,” an officer said during the meeting.
Board members and residents urged more regular attendance by precinct representatives and asked that neighborhood coordination officers (NCOs) attend the next meeting so the public can raise concerns in person. The board agreed to request the precinct provide the requested 28‑day crime breakdown at the next meeting and to try to arrange a precinct-council meeting date that resolves parking and logistics concerns raised by residents.
The meeting also reflected frustration about officer turnover. Officials said a number of officers have retired or left for other departments after academy training, and that recruiting alone has not offset departures. The precinct said it is seeking to fill crime-prevention and community-affairs roles but that some recent fills have been reassigned.
Board members emphasized that while some crime categories were down in the recent period, felony assaults were up, and that arrests had been made in those cases. The precinct said it would provide the detailed breakdown to the board when available.
Looking ahead, the board requested that precinct leaders provide regular staffing and crime-statistics updates and pledged to invite NCOs to the next meeting to improve direct community access to officers.
