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Q&A
Council Member Holden questions NYPD on e-bikes and response times
1:42:31
·
7 min
Council Member Robert F. Holden engages in a Q&A session with NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch and Deputy Chief Richard Napolitano, focusing on issues related to e-bikes and emergency response times. The discussion covers concerns about the public health crisis caused by e-bikes and the need for licensing, as well as problems with prolonged response times for emergency situations.
- Holden highlights the majority support for his e-bike licensing bill and questions the effectiveness of current solutions.
- NYPD officials provide statistics on improved response times and reduced backlogs.
- The conversation reveals ongoing issues with response times, with Holden sharing an incident where civilians had to detain suspects for over an hour while waiting for police.
Robert F. Holden
1:42:31
So, thank you commissioner for mentioning e bikes because we're at a, you know, a crossroads in this city because it's it's become a public health crisis.
1:42:42
Talk to emergency room doctors, which we do, and they say they can't believe the amount of injuries from these e bikes or e mobility vehicles.
1:42:52
And it's interesting.
1:42:54
I have co I have 28 co sponsors on my bill to license e bikes, which I introduced a while ago.
1:43:02
28.
1:43:03
That's the majority of the city council.
1:43:06
The the people that the the council members that brought up your sea summons issue are not on the bill.
1:43:15
And maybe they should get on if they want to really address this.
1:43:19
But and even, a few have been hit by e bikes.
1:43:23
They they got on the original bill, and they dropped off, for unknown reasons.
1:43:29
So if we're in a public health crisis and your the B Summers doesn't make any sense or as you said, then what's the solution?
1:43:40
And if if if licensing e bikes brings accountability and a change in behavior, it makes a lot of sense.
1:43:50
But yet, we're hearing the opposite today.
1:43:53
But let me just get into important issues, and I want to bring up response time because it's been a it's been a big issue and we had it come I hear this almost every week of nightmare stories.
1:44:08
Two weeks ago, two men were riding the wrong way.
1:44:12
They were they were in a vehicle, in a car, riding the wrong way and hit some vehicles.
1:44:19
Residents came out.
1:44:21
Cars were hit.
1:44:23
They, of course, these guys were intoxicated, both of them.
1:44:27
The driver was definitely intoxicated.
1:44:31
Nine one one was called.
1:44:33
One over one hour, the residents held these two individuals.
1:44:39
Over one hour, we couldn't get a a squad car there.
1:44:44
And so I wanna bring up the the critical response times.
1:44:48
What's what's the critical response?
1:44:50
What's the procedure, commissioner, on backlog?
1:44:52
Because I don't hear that anymore.
1:44:54
I don't hear going into alert where we can get help from a neighboring precinct.
1:44:59
I don't hear central getting on and saying and calling the people and saying, you know, we're we're we're coming or this will this will work, you know, we'll work it out.
1:45:11
Go ahead.
1:45:12
I'm sorry.
Jessica Tisch
1:45:12
Which is exactly why we have made a number of changes over the past month in how the 911 is managed, including but not limited to having the communications division report up to the first deputy commissioner's office where her commanding officer who is sitting in that seat right there used to work for me when the 911 call center was at its very best running communications and he is now overseeing the work to address many of the issues that you raised around 09:11 and communications.
1:45:58
But just before I let him speak, to give you some numbers that you requested.
1:46:07
Critical crimes in progress, the average response time now citywide is seven minutes for FY '25.
1:46:17
'7 minutes and '10 seconds.
1:46:19
That is down eight seconds from FY '24.
1:46:25
Chief Napolitano, do you have anything to add?
Richard Napolitano
1:46:29
Yes.
1:46:30
Good afternoon, Councilman.
1:46:32
Response time for the NYPD is actually down 9.5% this year for crimes in progress.
1:46:39
Nine minutes and thirty four seconds last year to eight forty this year.
1:46:43
So, we're actually doing very well on that.
1:46:45
As far as backlogs, backlogs are down 15% this year.
Robert F. Holden
1:46:50
15%.
Richard Napolitano
1:46:52
That's correct.
1:46:53
It's 02/1995 last year to 3,000 I'm sorry.
1:46:58
03/1967 last year to 2,695 this year.
1:47:04
So we're down substantially in that as well.
Robert F. Holden
1:47:07
Do you go into alert?
1:47:10
How do I get how do I get us a neighboring precinct to chip in and help out when guys are sitting there for an hour holding these two individuals?
1:47:19
And this this I can tell you nightmare story after nightmare story.
1:47:22
This is going on, and we're not solving it.
Jessica Tisch
1:47:24
Think we need to look at that job and see how and see how it was coded.
1:47:31
Perhaps there was an error in the coding of it, which the chief will address.
1:47:36
Do you have anything else to add there?
Richard Napolitano
1:47:38
Yes.
1:47:38
At the break, if you'd like to share that with me, we'll do a detailed analysis.
Robert F. Holden
1:47:43
Oh, I have a lot.
1:47:43
Not only that story, but I have a lot of them.
1:47:45
And it's it's reoccurring, commissioner.
1:47:47
This is not going away, and we need some better fail safe because central's deciding priority, isn't aren't they?
1:47:55
They're Well Who's who decides priority?
Richard Napolitano
1:47:58
It's actually decided what the priorities are.
1:48:01
It's it's calculated, and it's it's decided, and it's trained to the dispatches.
1:48:06
And just to explain the question you asked earlier, if there's a problem in another command, the dispatches are trained to pull from another command when necessary.
1:48:17
So, if you're in the 104 and there's nobody available, but if there's a male shot, they will pull from an adjoining
Robert F. Holden
1:48:25
I asked that question, chief, and I asked the question, commissioner.
1:48:30
I I'll talk to the precinct.
1:48:32
Why didn't you go why didn't we get the 112?
1:48:35
Why didn't we get the 108 to come in?
1:48:37
Why just leave it for over an hour of two people being held by by civilians?
Jessica Tisch
1:48:44
And I I want to just be very clear that we agree with you.
1:48:49
That is not acceptable which is why we want to do a deep dive to see how it was coded.
1:48:56
My guess is that it was coded as a vehicle collision property damage only which is of a lower priority and would get a longer response time.
Robert F. Holden
1:49:08
Alright.
1:49:08
Thank you.
Jessica Tisch
1:49:09
But we will look at it, and I think the first deputy commissioner has something to add.
1:49:12
Sorry.
Farah N. Louis
1:49:14
Also, we wanna add that we added supervisor response time supervisors to each platoon in communications.
1:49:23
So, over the last month, we're seeing that once we are in alert that those supervisors will make sure that they're talking to the PCTs, the boroughs if need be, but we'll look into the matter of the job that you brought up.
Robert F. Holden
1:49:36
Thank you all.
1:49:37
Thanks.