NYPD Announces Immersion' Program

New York Police Department Community Affairs Chief Douglas Ziegler last week announced the kickoff of a new Police Immersion Program that will put rookie cops on the streets.

Speaking before a City Council session, Ziegler said the new cops will "be doing a certain amount of walking through the communities each week, getting to know different businesses, religious institutions, schools and individuals" in their assigned commands.

"We want to show the new officers that part of being a police officer is getting to know the community. We are going to get them out the door [of the Police Academy] and get them involved with the community," Zeigler told the panel.

"We are going to hold them accountable for being involved with the community."

An NYPD spokesperson said the Police Immersion Program (PIP) is similar to the Community Policing Units (CPOP) established at precincts in communities throughout the city in the early 1990s.

"There are differences. Officers assigned to the PIP program won't be as involved in solving complaints related to other agencies as the CPOP cops were.

"They will be responsible for developing relationships with businesses, churches, synagogues, mosques and neighborhood residents.

"The program is an effort to reach out to the community and to create a police presence that can only be accomplished by an officer walking a beat," according to a police spokesperson.

- Liz Goff