Southeast Queens Celebrates the Opening of 116th Police Precinct, Paving the Way for Enhanced Public Safety and Community Engagement

South Eastern Queens celebrated the opening of the long-awaited 116th police precinct on December 18, 2024, marking a significant shift in the area’s approach to public safety and community policing. Officials, including Mayor Eric Adams, emphasized that the new precinct aims to enhance emergency response times and build trust between residents and police in a neighborhood that has long felt underserved.

During the opening ceremony, Mayor Adams highlighted the community’s financial commitment, noting that residents pay some of the highest taxes in the city and deserve comparable services. He pointed out that the previous policing model, which required a single precinct to cover vast areas, often resulted in egregious response times, undermining the police’s ability to protect residents effectively. The mayor expressed optimism that the new station would address these challenges and foster safer streets by promoting closer collaboration between officers and the community (Source: https://youtu.be/YE2WJHboLAc&t=1789).

Local leaders, including Queens Borough President Donovan Richards and State Senator James Sanders, celebrated the precinct’s opening as a culmination of years of advocacy. They emphasized that the precinct represents not only a physical structure but also a commitment to community engagement and improved policing strategies. Richards remarked that Southeast Queens has historically faced a lack of resources, and this new precinct signifies a turning point in addressing those long-standing issues (Source: https://youtu.be/YE2WJHboLAc&t=1250).

Advocates for the precinct stressed the importance of integrating community resources into the precinct’s framework, with features such as a food pantry and a community room designed to encourage collaboration and rapport-building between officers and residents. Officials indicated that such initiatives could help redefine the role of policing in the neighborhood, moving away from traditional law enforcement models toward one centered on community partnerships (Source: https://youtu.be/YE2WJHboLAc&t=1090).

Despite the enthusiasm for the new precinct, some leaders cautioned that physical infrastructure alone is not enough to ensure public safety. They emphasized the need for stable housing, jobs, and educational resources as foundational elements for genuine community safety, asserting that effective policing must be part of a broader strategy addressing these intertwined social issues (Source: https://youtu.be/YE2WJHboLAc&t=1932).

The opening of the 116th precinct symbolizes a renewed commitment to enhancing safety in South Eastern Queens through a multi-faceted approach focused on community engagement and improved policing practices. Local leaders expressed hope that this development would pave the way for a more responsive and trustworthy police presence in the area (Source: https://youtu.be/YE2WJHboLAc&t=1358).