$22M of shifted NYPD funding will go toward renovating 3 NYCHA centers in NYC
NEW YORK (WABC) -- Mayor Bill de Blasio says $22 million shifted away from the police department and into public housing will be used to renovate and open three NYCHA community centers.
The city budget passed last month shifts $1 billion from the NYPD's budget in the wake of protests to reform the police department.
The centers that will be renovated are at the Monroe houses in the Bronx, the Sheepshead Bay houses in Brookyln and the Wagner Houses in Manhattan.
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"A strong community starts with a safe place to gather," de Blasio said. "In June, we committed to reinvesting NYPD funds in youth and social services, and this $22 million in funding is a big step forward for NYCHA families and all New Yorkers."
A fourth NYCHA community center, Ocean Bay in Queens, will receive expense funding for programming provided by the Department of Youth and Community Development.
"Investment in NYCHA community centers is an investment in NYCHA families. We are pleased that these centers will receive the funding they need so that our city agency partners can resume important programs and services for NYCHA youth, and all residents to enjoy," said NYCHA Chair and CEO Greg Russ.
Supporters of the 'defund the police' movement say it isn't about eliminating police departments or stripping agencies of all of their money. They say it is time for the country to address systemic problems in policing in America and spend more on what communities across the U.S. need, like housing and education.
RELATED | When protesters cry 'defund the police,' what does it mean?
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