NYPD ordered to ‘drive around flashing lights’ to deter crime

[x635 4,066]

NYPD ordered to ‘drive around flashing lights’ to deter crime

Members of the NYPD’s elite Emergency Services Unit — many ex-military members who scale bridges to rescue jumpers and turn into rooftop snipers to nail hostage-takers — have been ordered to drive around the city’s worst neighborhoods with their lights flashing to deter crime, The Post has learned.

http://nypost.com/2014/08/12/nypd-ordered-to-drive-around-flashing-lights-to-deter-crime/

[SOUSGT 357]

I guess that's more "socially acceptable" than stop and frisk and the Mayors plan to replace stop and frisk with good old fashioned police work seems to be working really well!

In reading the article there was an interesting quote:

“It’s really a joke,” a disgusted ESU source said. “We sit in our truck all night driving around, listening to music.”

“City Hall is panicking,” he added, referring to a summer crime spike.

The latest statistics show that shooting incidents continued to increase last week compared to the same period in 2013.

The number of people shot jumped about 25 percent between July 15 and Aug. 10 compared to last year — climbing from 103 to 129.

to 129.

Edited August 12, 2014 by SOUSGT

[Pagers 197]

Why don't they do like many departments, instead of "flashing" lights have "cruise" lights.

[thebreeze 194]

Why doesn't City Hall leave the decision making to people who have a clue about policing and let the members of the NYPD do their jobs and then stand behind them an support them? I know that's just an insane notion though, right?

[10512 214]

This is one of those policies that was put in effect, just to put something in effect.
In a panic mode, the powers that be decided "something" had to be done.

This is one of the "things" they came up with.

Unfortunately, Policing is very political.

When answering to a political machine, the answer cannot be "I don't know", "That is not possible", or "that is not practical".

Politics demands something be done.

Someone had to come up with an answer and this is the result.

More than likely, the person demanding the answers has no idea what Policing is, what it entails and how it works. This person probably has little common sense. But, on paper, this looks great, he gets to say "we are doing something" and gets a press byte out of it.

In reality, you are spending a lot of money sending cops out riding around in cars with flashing lights on.

Even without the lights on, the "criminal element" would have seen the car a long time before the cops saw them.

Edited August 13, 2014 by 10512

[10512 214]

Another point, to show how ridiculous this decision is, why were the cops who normally patrol these areas not told to drive around with their lights on?

Is it that only the "overtime' lights will make a difference?

Edited August 13, 2014 by 10512

[M' Ave 1,466]

Saw ESU twice today, no flashing lights

[lt411 145]

Newark FD and Washington DC FD have also had fire companies patrol for crime and stage on street corners to "scare " criminals . These were companies based in the ghettos who were already busy on the "fire/ems" side, and then they were being asked to do police work. Don't know if these policies are still in effect, but they have proved relatively useless and demoralizing.

[16fire5 693]

The parade of cars with the lights on has been going on all summer. So has impact with a car from every precinct coming to help ones being plagued by the shootings. Also flooding these areas with rookies. I'm surprised it's taken this long to make the papers. If the bad guys know they can carry their guns with no fear of being searched guess what? They are going to carry their guns.

[wraftery 1,275]

I'm not a cop, so I might be in the dark (pun intended) on this subject, so I have a question.

Isn't it really, really hard to sneak up on the bad guy if you are riding around with flashing lights that lets the perp know you are coming?

[Bnechis 3,961]

I'm not a cop, so I might be in the dark (pun intended) on this subject, so I have a question.

Isn't it really, really hard to sneak up on the bad guy if you are riding around with flashing lights that lets the perp know you are coming?

Bingo, DiBlasio does not want perps caught, because they are his biggest supporters

[SOUSGT 357]

I guess this is "progressive policing", keep the police in their cars with the lights on so everyone knows where they are. The bad guys see them coming and go in the other direction. This way there won’t be any confrontations.

[SRS131EMTFF 471]

Anyone remember the Surge "parades"? I remember working in the Bronx around Fordham rd from 2005-2008 and almost daily, regardless of day or night, you should see at lease one parade of 8-20 patrol cars going L&S circling Fordham rd for about an hour at a time. How is this any different?