NYPD 'Pull-Out Experiment' Could Expand To Bed-Stuy: Report

BED-STUY, BROOKLYN — An NYPD program that swapped police for community support groups on major thoroughfares in Brownsville could soon be coming to Bed-Stuy, according to Council Member Robert Cornegy Jr.

Cornegy told Kings County Politics this week that he is working with Bed-Stuy's 77th, 79th and 81st police precincts to consider adopting the pilot program in the neighborhood, according to the outlet.

The idea for an expansion into Bed-Stuy comes a week after NYPD officials said they were looking for areas to expand the program, specifically with in North Brooklyn.

The pilot program pulled police away from their regular posts on Mother Gaston Boulevard in the 73rd Precinct for five days while, instead, community organizations and city agencies called the Brownsville Safety Alliance set up information booths on the corridor. Officers remained a 911 call away from responding to any emergencies, according to The City.

NYPD and advocates have praised the experiment as a success, noting that there were no valid 911 calls during those five days.

Bed-Stuy has suffered from an ongoing surge in gun violence the past year, which law enforcement has largely attributed to widespread gang activity in the borough. The shootings have led Cornegy and others to hold several "Stop the Violence" events in the name of bringing gun violence prevention services to the neighborhood.

Cornegy told Kings County Politics — specifically given a case where a 1-year-old was killed last year — that he is hesitant, but hopeful about the difference the pilot program could make.

“The pandemic has exacerbated all problems across the board, from gun violence to food insecurity and homelessness, which is up,” said Cornegy. “It’s hard to imagine pulling police back when a one-year-old was shot here, but we’re looking to give it a try.”

Read Kings County Politics' full story here.