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Q&A
Council member critiques funding and resources for NYPD Community Affairs Bureau
2:47:45
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123 sec
Council Member Nantasha Williams expresses concern about the inadequate funding and resources allocated to the NYPD's Community Affairs Bureau. She highlights the discrepancy between the importance of the bureau's work and its limited budget.
- Williams points out that Community Affairs officers often lack basic resources for events
- She emphasizes the need for more funding to support preventative work and youth programs
- Assistant Commissioner Foster acknowledges the concern and offers to discuss the budget and funding in more detail
Nantasha Williams
2:47:45
Okay, I'm happy you clarified because our chair here noted that none of those programs are technically within NYPD.
2:47:51
I think my biggest thing that I want to just say I guess and maybe I have another question is that what I have found is that the Community Affairs Bureau is sort of what we want to see from policing especially in communities of color and what I have also experienced is that the Community Affairs Unit has the least amount of money.
2:48:11
Tons of times and I will continue to say this tons tons of times, community affairs officers are coming to me for water, for snacks, to host different events and that to me underscores that they don't have the resources needed to actually do the work we want to see them do.
2:48:24
So if you're talking about preventative work and why our young folks even potentially may end up in the gang database is because there's another need that's not being served and so if you are gonna essentially tout what the Community Affairs Bureau is doing, like I hope that you are like adequately funding that bureau to do the work because I have not seen that and I know there's targeted precincts that maybe have a little bit more resources and have different programs than other precincts, it's just this is another issue I have.
2:48:56
There's no congruence across the city and maybe not each community needs the same level of youth development programming, but it's just there's just no consistency.
2:49:07
I think that's like the biggest issue that I have and the fact that they like don't have they they have like one of the lowest budgets out of all the different units in the NYPD.
2:49:16
Like you guys spend tons of money on like other things that I don't think are necessary but then spend very little amount of money on like the very unit that you're like essentially saying is like, here's how we're trying to address this issue proactively.
Alden Foster
2:49:30
Yes.
2:49:30
And councilmember, I I get back to you on the actual funding and the budgeting, that's not my area, but I will say to you working with community partners, DYCD, the community based organizations and also local elected officials, the support that we get to run those youth programs have been very helpful.