UES Council Members Call On New NYPD Commish To Help East 86th Street

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — Newly sworn-in NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban has a whole city on his plate.

Add to the list the area in and around the 86th Street subway station, says both of the Upper East Side City Council Members.

A letter co-signed by the two neighborhood pols asks the new head of the largest police force in the United States to give the neighborhood precinct house more resources to step up foot patrols around East 86th Street and Lexington Avenue — too often the site of disturbing and violent incidents in the neighborhood.

"We respectfully request that the 19th Precinct be provided with additional resources and staffing necessary to increase foot patrols both in and around the 86th Street station, so as to prevent violence and other destructive behavior from escalating to a dangerous level," the letter reads.

The elected officials cites recent violent events at the troubled location, including a man stabbed in the neck on a 4 train, a 19-year-woman slashed by a serial slashed inside the station and a 47-year-old who sadly ended his life by jumping to the train tracks.

And while crime continues to decline overall in the neighborhood this year, assaults are still on the rise, with East 86th Street remaining a hot spot.

Powers and Menin both say that while the 19th Precinct is doing good work, "additional resources will assist them with their ability to serve the Upper East Side and continue to provide excellent service to our communities."

The recently passed City Budget, in addition to funding for the NYPD, includes an additional $8.5 million for the city's Crisis Management System and violence prevention programs, bringing total funding to a new high of $86 million.