(2 Dec 2019) New York City's new police commissioner says he hopes to make the city even safer than it is now by continuing to build upon "the framework of neighborhood policing." Dermot Shea was sworn-in as the NYPD's 44th police commissioner Sunday and made the remarks Monday during a public ceremony hosted by Mayor Bill de Blasio.
"Policing is about more than public safety, it's about service. It's about, as the mayor said, providing hope to those sometimes that have no hope. It's about protecting those who cannot protect themselves. It's about changing lives," Shea told the audience.
But Shea has serious challenges as the new leader of the nation's largest police department.
Shea, who is taking over from James O'Neill, will have to contend with looming bail and other criminal justice reforms, pressure to reduce arrests and incarcerations ahead of the planned 2026 closure of the city's notorious Rikers Island jail complex, and dissent among the department's 36,000 officers.
Shea and O'Neill have raised concerns about the statewide reforms which include eliminating bail for non-violent felonies, appearance tickets instead of arrests for low-level offenses and a requirement that authorities give more information to defendants before reaching a plea agreement.
The reforms are slated to take effect Jan. 1 2020.
Criminal justice advocates say the reforms, aimed at eliminating mass incarceration, will bring overdue fairness to a system that has long filled jails with people who are accused of low-level crimes and are unable to afford bail.
Law-and-order types fear letting suspects roam free will make the city less safe.
Shea developed data-driven strategies for fighting and preventing crime, and helped O'Neill transition the department to a community-oriented policing philosophy, which pushes officers out of their patrol cars and onto the streets so they can build bonds with residents.
Shea said that approach, known as neighborhood policing, is vital to coping with the shifting criminal justice landscape.
Shea, the Queens-bred son of Irish immigrants, worked his way up the ranks over a 28-year NYPD career from Bronx patrolman to chief of detectives.
Mayor Bill de Blasio has said he was dazzled early on by Shea's intellect and saw him as "the future of the NYPD."
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