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\u201cCrime has increased, but it\u2019s not due directly to COVID. Anyone you ask, even experts, will tell you that there are multiple factors. This year is pretty much a perfect storm. At the beginning of the year, bail reform raised the age for New York State…allowing a lot of people out of jail that probably ended up committing the same crimes again,\u201d Campaign said, once we settled into the back office where reports are filed and digitized. He added that if you were of a certain age when the pandemic hit, convicts were released due to health concerns regardless of the circumstances surrounding their pending trial, meaning law enforcement likely had to track these people down too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Concerning how the amount of resources they\u2019ve received has changed, Campaign stated, \u201cthere are a number of things that have opened up for the police in the last few months, like grants. If you\u2019ve gotten sick, there are non-profit organizations that have stepped up and said they would help us out.\u201d Campaign and Velazquez both emphasized throughout the interview that the support from the surrounding community has been amazing and very much appreciated. \u201cIt\u2019s different everywhere…We have a pretty good relationship with the businesses here,\u201d offered Campaign. \u201cWe\u2019re very lucky,\u201d Velazquez echoed. The precinct receives surgical masks on their stoop daily and restaurant owners have brought in food. \u201cThe community itself has realized that we have to work together,\u201d Campaign observed.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Both officers noted that policing is constantly evolving, a self-described \u201cfluid\u201d job. However, Campaign recognizes that the public\u2019s perception of police officers nowadays is not simply something to get used to but instead requires action. \u201cWe\u2019ve been trying to reach out to the community more. We\u2019re more active on Twitter to let people know that we\u2019re out there and we\u2019re helping.\u201d They also commented that they\u2019ve been making more promotional videos and hosting Zoom calls with the public.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n As the interview came to a natural close, Campaign wanted to add one last sentiment.\u201cWhen I was younger, there was a stigma around speaking to local officers. I think the first time I ever spoke to a cop was when I was in my twenties. If you feel like you have something to say, you want to learn something, or you\u2019re concerned about something, reach out or look online. Velazquez nodded her head vigorously and added, \u201cI want to emphasize that not all cops are bad. Don\u2019t compare them to me. We are all human. A lot of people have an opinion [of police officers] based on what they read online and on social media. Speak to us and we\u2019ll speak to you. That\u2019s what we\u2019re hoping the community does.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n As I exited the Fifth Precinct, I thought about Campaign\u2019s words and realized that it was, in fact, the first face-to-face interaction I\u2019d ever had with a police officer. What I saw were two people who are trying their best to respond and adjust to each day in the best way they know how: by continuing to serve the community and New York as they always have. They depend on us almost as much as we depend on them to reach out and build a relationship, a component that is key to the kind of officers they want to continue to be. \u201cWe\u2019re always out there and willing to talk to people,\u201d Velazquez assured, \u201cWe want people to be comfortable. It\u2019s a conversation that has to be had.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"![\"\"](\"https:\/\/gracegazette.org\/wordpress1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/stuffy-stuff-1024x700.jpg\")
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