NYPD commissioner defends renewed focus on quality-of-life crime

NEW YORK - The police commissioner is not backing down on her decision to arrest violators on quality-of-life crimes including turnstile jumping, open drug selling, public drinking, dice games, and public urination.

"This is an all hands on deck," Commissioner Keechant Sewell said. 

It is a return to what is called broken windows policing, implemented under Mayor Rudy Giuliani in the 1990s. The belief is that smaller quality-of-life crimes lead to more serious crimes, dysfunction, and chaos.

Critics say broken windows policing targets and incarcerates more people of color.

Sewell on Thursday defended her actions. 

"We are focused on the people, the places, and the things that lead to criminality and lead to violence," she said, "and deteriorate the quality of life for everyday New Yorkers."

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During Mayor Bill de Blasio's administration, district attorneys stopped prosecuting most quality-of-life crimes. Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark was among them.

"What I did last year was based on what I knew then," she said on Thursday.

But moving forward, DAs are now on alert to start prosecuting quality-of-life crimes.

"I've had conversations with the DA as well," Sewell said. "We understand when we bring these cases forward, we have to evaluate them on a case-by-case basis."

Clark said she and her office are "happy to be involved with any initiative that's going to keep our community safe."

Sewell and Clark appeared together to announce the arrest of two gang members for selling 33 guns, including some assault rifles and ghost guns, to an undercover police officer. But the topic turned to quality-of-life crimes when reporters started asking questions.