The NYPD is launching a controversial new “Quality of Life” enforcement unit. Initially, the program will start in Manhattan, with plans to expand citywide. This initiative aims to address low-level offenses such as loitering, public drinking, and fare evasion. Many are concerned that its actual targets will be Black and Brown communities.

Historically, “broken windows” policing and similar initiatives have led to increased police presence in communities of color. This often escalates minor encounters into serious conflicts. Advocates argue that these tactics do little to improve safety. But instead, it perpetuates a cycle of surveillance, criminalization, and incarceration.

“This isn’t about safety—it’s about control,” says a Harlem community leader. “They’re calling it ‘quality of life,’ but it’s only going to degrade the quality of life for Black New Yorkers.”

The NYPD has not provided information on how officers in this new unit will be trained. Advocates would like to know how oversight will be managed. Currently, there’s no information available on the measures that will be implemented to prevent profiling and abuse. Those most likely to be stopped, searched, or arrested under this new policy will resemble the individuals who have historically faced the majority of aggressive policing.

Many Black residents in Manhattan are already bracing for what feels like yet another chapter of state-sanctioned harassment, with the expansion to all precincts on the horizon. The fear is that this will only widen the divide between law enforcement and the communities they are supposed to protect.