I've said it before and I'll say it again: Commissioner Jessica Tisch is the queen of the rebrand. The NYPD has a long history of taking an old concept, giving it a new name, and presenting it as something revolutionary.
At the end of the day, it's often the same song and dance.
Now, to be fair, I think Operation Impact had value. It put cops in high-crime locations, disrupted conditions that lead to crime, and produced benefits for residents. There were some positives for cops as well.
But let's not pretend it was perfect. One of the biggest flaws has always been the NYPD's obsession with numbers. The department has a history of measuring success through statistics that can be manipulated, distorted, or selectively presented.
My concern is that whatever the new name is, the same thing will happen. The strategy may change around the edges, but if leadership is still chasing favorable metrics instead of honest assessments of public safety, we're going to get the same results packaged under a different label.
A new name doesn't solve old problems.
#TheFinestUnfiltered
It's worth noting that Operation Impact was largely a measure to do more with less cops, in the shadow of a then early 2000's recession and high attrition caused by post-9/11 retirements. Much of the same fiscal environment NYC now faces, if not worse. Which is probably why the city is following that same formula. Additionally, the end of Impact was accelerated in 2014 by the accidental shooting of Akai Gurley by an Impact rookie in the 75 pct.