The NYPD Now Decides What Homeless Encampments Get Swept
After briefly being sidelined under Mayor Bill de Blasio, New York City police are now officially in charge of homeless encampment sweeps, according to new procedures issued last month by the Adams administration.
The updated rules, released Aug. 12, task the NYPD with making the “final determination regarding which sites will be assigned for cleanup” after receiving a referral from the Department of Homeless Services’ (DHS) Joint Command Center, which monitors and fields complaints related to New Yorkers bedding down in public spaces.
The new, formalized procedure essentially codifies what has become a de facto sweeps policy under Mayor Eric Adams and replaces a 2020 directive that removed the NYPD from most street outreach and clean-ups in the wake of an uprising for police accountability and reform spurred by the murder of George Floyd.
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