NYPD hires first woman to lead Patrol Borough Brooklyn North
NEW YORK - Chief Judith Harrison has become just the fourth black woman to rise to the rank of Chief in the NYPD and is now the first woman to serve as the commanding officer of Patrol Borough Brooklyn North.
Harrison takes over an area known as one of the most violent sections of the city,
“We’re seeing a lot of gang violence in Brooklyn North,” Harrison said. “We’re seeing a lot of retaliatory violence.”
Gun violence has become a growing problem throughout New York City. In the last week, there have been 101 victims of gun violence throughout the city.
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Police statistics show that murders are up 23% in the first 6 months of 2020 versus the same period in 2019.
Harrison, who was promoted two weeks ago, says that in addition to dealing with the spike in crime in the city, the NYPD must also repair its current fractured relationship with the public.
“The community needs the police but the police need the community too,” Harrison said. “It’s a two-way street, we need each other. We have to understand each other, we have to communicate with each other, but more importantly we have to trust each other.”
The death of George Floyd has ignited a nationwide movement for change in policing, however, Harrison expressed her faith in the training given to NYPD officers and in Police Commissioner Dermot Shea.
Following massive protests over police brutality in the city, the NYPD disbanded its undercover anti-crime unit that was responsible for getting illegal guns off of the streets. But many police officers and other sin law enforcement predicted that the move would increase crime in the city.
According to Chief Harrison, the unit has been repurposed.
“They’re no longer driving around in plain clothes and unmarked vehicles, but they are now in their uniforms and they are on patrol, and they are the same people with knowledge of crimes, knowledge of historical gang issues, they’re also looking for guns, that’s part of being on patrol,” Harrison said.
The department is also dealing with a surge of officers now filing for retirement, allegedly over feeling under attack and a lack of support.
“People retire all the time,” Harrison said. “We have to work with the staff that we have. I’m confident in the staff that we have."