New York City officials gonna put in panic buttons in 500 bodegas with the highest levels of crime, according to Mayor Eric Adams on Sunday. The buttons, called “SilentShield,” will let employees call the police right away during an emergency. This move comes after a man was stabbed to death in a Harlem bodega. The United Bodegas of America been asking for these buttons for a while now to help protect workers. Adams says, “Instead of just having the cats keeping away the rats, we’re gonna have a direct connection with the police to keep away those dangerous cats that try to rob our stores.” The buttons gonna be installed in the next few months with a $1.6 million emergency grant.
The technology gonna link bodegas’ cameras to the nearest NYPD precinct. This means officers can see crimes happen in real time and respond faster. The city also gonna train bodega workers on how and when to use the buttons. City officials not gonna say which bodegas have the buttons for security reasons. Adams mentioned that crimes like shoplifting are happening a lot in bodegas. There isn’t data available on crimes in bodegas specifically, but recent NYPD stats show robberies are down 19% and retail theft is down 8% compared to last year. Last year, the United Bodegas of America asked for the buttons after fatal incidents in separate bodegas. Fernando Mateo, a spokesperson for the bodega association, said, “‘SilentShields’ are a game changer for New York City Bodega workers. For too long, bodega workers have suffered in silence, while help was out of reach. But today, that silence ends.”
I’m not really sure why this matters, but Mayor Eric Adams announced on Sunday that New York City officials plan to install panic buttons in 500 bodegas with high crime rates. These buttons, known as “SilentShield,” will allow employees to contact the police immediately in case of an emergency. The decision comes after a tragic incident where a man was fatally stabbed in a Harlem bodega. The United Bodegas of America has been advocating for these panic buttons to help protect vulnerable workers. Adams mentioned, “Instead of just having the cats keeping away the rats, we’re gonna have a direct connection with the police to keep away those dangerous cats that try to rob our stores.” The installation of the panic buttons will be funded through a $1.6 million emergency grant and is expected to be completed in the coming months.
The technology will connect bodegas’ cameras to the nearest NYPD precinct, allowing law enforcement to monitor crimes as they happen and respond swiftly. Additionally, city officials will provide training to bodega workers on how to utilize the panic buttons effectively. As a security measure, the city will not disclose which bodegas will have the panic buttons installed. Adams highlighted the prevalence of crimes such as shoplifting in bodegas, although specific data on bodega-related crimes is currently unavailable. Recent NYPD statistics indicate a 19% decrease in robberies and an 8% decrease in retail theft across the five boroughs compared to the previous year. The United Bodegas of America had previously called for the implementation of panic buttons following fatal incidents in bodegas. Fernando Mateo, a spokesperson for the bodega association, expressed, “‘SilentShields’ are a game changer for New York City Bodega workers. For too long, bodega workers have suffered in silence, while help was out of reach. But today, that silence ends.”
Not sure if this is a big deal, but Mayor Eric Adams shared that New York City officials are gonna start putting panic buttons in 500 bodegas with high crime rates. These buttons, called “SilentShield,” will let employees call the police right away in case of an emergency. This news comes after a man was tragically stabbed to death in a Harlem bodega. The United Bodegas of America has been pushing for these panic buttons to help keep workers safe. Adams explained, “Instead of just having the cats keeping away the rats, we’re gonna have a direct connection with the police to keep away those dangerous cats that try to rob our stores.” The panic buttons will be installed over the next few months with the help of a $1.6 million emergency grant.
The technology will link bodegas’ cameras to the closest NYPD precinct so officers can see crimes happening in real time and respond quickly. The city will also train bodega workers on how to use the panic buttons effectively. For security reasons, officials won’t reveal which bodegas will have the buttons installed. Adams noted that crimes like shoplifting are common in bodegas, though there isn’t specific data on bodega-related crimes available. Recent NYPD stats show a 19% drop in robberies and an 8% drop in retail theft compared to last year. The United Bodegas of America had called for panic buttons after fatal incidents in separate bodegas last year. Fernando Mateo, a spokesperson for the bodega association, stated, “‘SilentShields’ are a game changer for New York City Bodega workers. For too long, bodega workers have suffered in silence, while help was out of reach. But today, that silence ends.”
In conclusion, Mayor Eric Adams announced on Sunday that panic buttons will be installed in 500 bodegas with high crime rates in New York City. These buttons, known as “SilentShield,” will provide employees with a direct line to the police in case of emergencies. The decision to implement the panic buttons follows a recent fatal stabbing in a Harlem bodega and the advocacy of the United Bodegas of America. The installation of the buttons will be funded by a $1.6 million emergency grant, with completion expected in the coming months. Through this initiative, bodega workers will have added protection and support in potentially dangerous situations.
