Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
During a press conference on Aug. 8 at the 14th Street Y, Mayor Adams announced that a $1 million state-of-the-art Mobile NYPD Command Center would be placed near the troubled corner of 14th Street and First Avenue. (The
Times first reported that Adams allocated the money in early July.)
According to the
news release touting the command center on Aug. 8, the city noted it was part of a "fiscally responsible $112.4 billion Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Adopted Budget passed in June."
Two and a half months later, no one seems to know about — or wants to comment on — the mobile command unit. When can residents expect to see it on 14th Street? Given his legal troubles, how much is the city's first indicted sitting mayor paying attention to neighborhood issues like this? (In addition, NYC's
interim police commissioner is leaving after a few weeks on the job.)
"When we came into office, we had a clear mission: protect public safety, rebuild our economy, and make our city more affordable and livable, and the '14th Street Community Improvement Coalition' precisely addresses these concerns — enhancing the quality of life and making the East Village safer. Our administration does not and will not tolerate an atmosphere where anything goes."
East 14th Street also embodies New York City's struggles with a web of interconnected ills that have defied attempts to rein them in and have flared since the pandemic in parts of Manhattan: homelessness and mental illness, addiction and rampant shoplifting and seesaw battles for control of public space.
Since the stabbings on a Sunday afternoon in June, the NYPD has been a regular presence on the block, both on foot patrols and in patrol cars. The NYPD also installed three light towers between A and First on the south side of 14th Street. The city formed the multi-agency 14th Street Community Improvement Coalition to address the complicated convergence of public safety issues, including illegal vending, retail theft, and substance use and sales.
One matter that hasn't been resolved is the weekend flea market at Immaculate Conception on 14th Street at First Avenue, which some residents said contributes to the quality-of-life issues. The market is too big for the available space, and it attracted a patchwork of sellers with dubious and stolen merchandise setting up on the sidewalk along the block. The police have mostly kept them away from the corridor.
Residents have noted improvements along 14th Street, though familiar issues have been gradually resurfacing.
Late last month, a 68-year-old woman was bashed in the head by a stranger on 14th Street and First Avenue.
Against this backdrop, where is the $1 million NYPD mobile command unit that "will serve as a central hub for law enforcement operations in the area"? Is it still on the way?
According to a source at the NYPD who was not authorized to speak on the record: "It's not something that was going to happen right away. No time frame or date was given [for its arrival]."
The source continued:
In my experience, the NYPD will just show up and arrive without proper communication with anyone involved. I don't know when the unit will arrive, but I don't think we will see it this year. Local elected officials may have more info than we will have. We are usually the last to know.
This [mobile unit] will require manpower, and three officers will be assigned to it at all times. Where are the three officers coming from? Right now, two officers are assigned to the foot post at the location — one from the 9th Precinct and one from the 13th Precinct.
I asked the NYPD source if the underlying issues had been addressed and if the problems might have spread to other areas.
Absolutely, the problem has been pushed to other areas. We have seen illegal vendors move into the confines of the 13th Precinct, and some vendors have moved to First Avenue and Houston Street ... We have received complaints regarding 12th Street and First Avenue, but I have only seen homeless people there, no vendors. Now they [the vendors] are scattered around.
When we take the footpost away, they will all come back. We did this once before during the DeBlasio administration. We were there for a month or two, and as soon as they took the footpost away, [the vendors] all came back.
We have questions, too. Is this going to be an overtime post? Where are these officers coming from? We made the press conference, we made these nice promises; when are we going to see this? These are good questions to ask local elected officials. When is it coming? You need to announce when it is going to happen. Give me a time frame.
In recent weeks, I have asked about the mobile unit. The NYPD said to ask local elected officials. Local elected officials said to ask the NYPD.
"At this moment, the Council does not have an update to share on the timeline of the mobile command unit," said a spokesperson for Adrienne E. Adams, speaker of City Council. "I would implore you to reach out to NYPD if you haven't already to get answers to your questions."
From the office of District 2 City Council Member Carlina Rivera: "NYPD press would have the most accurate timeline — we are working to get an update as well."
State Assemblymember Harvey Epstein was the most talkative on the topic.
"There is regular police [presence] on 14th Street and coordinated efforts with both the 9th and 13th [Precincts] working together along with sanitation, DHS, etc.," he said. "My understanding is the command center exists now but [is] not visible to the public except what we see on 14th Street with police and equipment there."
When I pressed for clarification, he said, "Let me ask."
Epstein said he contacted the Mayor's office three times for an update and was told there was no update.
Leaders at Community Board 3 also did not answer. "I have nothing on record to say," said longtime District Manager Susan Stetzer. CB3 Chair Andrea Gordillo said, "I don't have anything official to follow up with, but as soon as I do, I'll let you know."
I also contacted the Mayor, the press office at City Hall, Sen. Brian Kavanagh, District 4 City Council Member Keith Powers, and the Office of the Deputy Commissioner, Public Information. However, none of them got back to me.
I waited to file this story to give people time to respond. They did not.
Meanwhile, I would have contacted more people listed on the press release about the mobile unit, but they have either since been indicted or resigned.
