After a weekend full of shootings and deaths, the NYPD has decided to flood the areas where the shootings occurred with Skywatch towers, mobile versions of Skywatch towers, and, yes, more uniformed and plainclothes police officers—"to suppress further violence."
In a statement, NYPD Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne said:
In the wake of the shootings over the weekend, Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly today directed that police resources be added to suppress further violence, including the assignment of additional uniformed officers to public housing developments citywide, deployment of Skywatch towers and TerraHawk vehicles to the vicinity of the shootings (TerraHawks are mobile versions of the Skywatch camera-equipped observation towers), and the deployment of plainclothes officers assigned to borough and precinct-based anti-crime units during the shooting-prone hours experienced recently.
In addition, Warrants Division personnel will focus on the nine commands that experienced multiple shootings this weekend in order to arrest individuals wanted on outstanding warrants. Investigators are also monitoring gang-affiliated street crews for any evidence of planned retaliation based on shootings over the weekend, in which 26 individuals were shot, seven fatally.
Browne pointed out some more statistics: Three survivors of the shootings were under the age of 16 (including an 11-year-old girl who is now paralyzed); homicides are down 24% versus last year (including the seven from Friday through Sunday; 127 in 2013 vs. 167 in 2012); and shootings are down 27% and number of people shot are down by 29%, both versus last year.
Here's the TerraHawk in action:
Terrahawk MUST Demonstration Video from Grant Van Hoose on Vimeo.
