What do the NYPD’s new Quality of Life teams do? amNewYork found out by following one along the Coney Island boardwalk on Thursday.
The 60th Precinct, which covers the summer playland that is Coney Island, has served as a part of the pilot program for Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch’s Quality of Life teams, also known as Q-teams, that have been tackling everything from derelict vehicles and homeless encampments to smoking in parks. Tisch reported that the operation has been so successful that they will be expanding citywide next month.
The 60th Precinct Q-team has been addressing quality-of-life issues since April, responding to some 10,000 quality-of-life complaints in that time.
“Whether it be double-parked cars, loud music at night, vending, encampment issues, or open-air drug use. It’s really a wide array of things that these teams have been trained to handle and are handling successfully,” NYPD Deputy Chief William Glynn said.
Glynn explained that the majority of the complaints are received via 311, with others trickling in through 911.
While amNewYork observed the team at work on June 19, the officers stopped one man who had his dog off the leash and another who was riding a motorcycle down the boardwalk; both were let off with warnings.
However, in another incident, they gave a man a summons for smoking marijuana in what is considered a public park. Though cannabis is legal, toking in public remains a violation.
According to Glynn, the discretion that officers exercise on a case-by-case basis underscores the overall mission of the Q-teams: Not to make arrests, but simply to make the quality of life better for the public.
“We have to address the condition and take it from there. Common sense rules the day, the goal is not summonses, the goal is not arrest. The goal is to resolve the issue,” Glynn said. “If we can resolve that issue with a simple conversation, mission accomplished, we’ll move on to the next thing. Obviously, enforcement is a tool in our toolbox, but it is not the goal.”
Executive Director of Coney Island Alliance Daniel Murphy championed the Q teams for taking on illegal vending along the boardwalk, charging that the practice takes away from struggling small businesses.
“On Stillwell Avenue, there is a guy renting chairs right now who is a disabled veteran. He got the license, he’s got all his paperwork, he’s done his training,” Murphy said, adding that others come and take business away from men like him and create clutter. “Chaos can be on the rides, in the haunted houses, but not on the boardwalk.”
Chief Glynn went on to add the Q-Team’s service is not about just responding to issues; they also want to connect with those making the complaints to ensure it has been rectified.
“One big emphasis that we’ve really pushed down to the officers on the street and the Q-teams is we want you getting back to the people that are calling us. Only 25% of the 1.5 million calls last year actually left contact information,” Gylnn said. “We’re going to follow up. We’re going to call these people and ask if we can resolve your issue. And can we do better? Let’s work together to resolve these problems.”
The Q teams will start going citywide, beginning with Manhattan, on July 14.
