The bad old days: how policing in New York City turned back the clock

An uptick in crime during the pandemic has seen the new mayor, Eric Adams, get tough on crime' - but critics say he is ignoring the proven community methods that actually keep the city safe

The sidewalk was dotted with white party tents, music streamed through DJ Jay Five's speakers, kids danced and men in Safe Summer shirts flipped burgers on a charcoal grill.

The block party on 54th Street in Queens' Woodside neighborhood was leading up to a long-awaited reveal. A few feet away, a red ribbon covered the door to the new violence intervention site - a center to advance community-driven public safety, through healing, conflict mediation and training.