New NYPD unit will target issues like illegal parking, noise and homeless encampments

An NYPD unit that will focus on non-emergency issues like illegal parking, outdoor drug use, aggressive panhandling and noise complaints will begin work in five precincts across the city starting Monday, city officials said Thursday.

The quality of life unit will be staffed with NYPD employees – including neighborhood coordination officers, youth coordination officers and traffic safety officers – who have existing relationships with community members, Mayor Eric Adams and Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said during a press conference Thursday.

“Today is about improving the quality of life for all New Yorkers in their neighborhoods, on their blocks and at their front doors,” Tisch said at the press conference.

The officers will be trained on how to best respond to homeless encampments, derelict vehicles, reckless driving and other issues they’ll likely encounter.

Starting Monday, the unit will begin work in five precincts and one public housing area, in neighborhoods including the South Bronx, Far Rockaway, Coney Island, Union Square and East New York.

Officers will receive additional training on how to field 311 calls. The unit will use a new system called Q-stat – modeled after the crime tracker system CompStat – that will analyze 311 complaints.

Each month, NYPD officials will hold Q-Stat meetings to identify areas in the city where quality-of-life issues persist.

The unit will be headed by Deputy Chief William Glynn, who previously led a multi-agency effort to address crime and disorder on Roosevelt Avenue in Queens.