The New York City Police Department is facing opposition over its extracurricular dance crew, with critics urging demanding officers focus more on combatting crime and less on their dance moves.
Founded in 2022, the team was intended to serve as a place for officers to unwind after their shifts. The dancers practice two to three times a week, performing at city schools, galas and other events.
President Autumn-Rain Martinez described dance rehearsal as ‘a place to release mental stress’ during a recent appearance on PIX 11.
‘We have to have a space to decompress,’ she explained.
The team’s very public promotion comes as New Yorkers voice concerns about rising crime and strained resources amid the ongoing migrant crisis.
‘This will scare the beejeezes out of any criminal in NYC,’ said one X critic, offering up some sarcastic criticism of their recent performance.
Members of the New York City Police Department’s dance team appeared on a local television station Thursday
President Autumn-Rain Martinez (front) described the club as ‘a space to decompress’
However, the team quickly drew criticism online as netizens urged them to spend more time cracking down on crime
While migrant-related crime is difficult to quantify, police data suggests there has been no surge since April 2022, when Governor Greg Abbott began busing migrants to the Big Apple to protest the federal government’s border policy.
However, onlookers have been quick to seize on the most extreme cases. In one of the most widely publicized incidents of the past month, three NYPD officers were pummeled by a group of migrant men in Times Square and left with minor injuries.
Five of the men were sent to Rikers Island Friday after appearing before a judge.
In the aftermath of the assault, and amid mounting controversy, Governor Kathy Hochul professed that authorities should ‘get them all and send them back.’
‘You don’t touch our police officers – you don’t touch anybody,’ she said at the time.
Assault on an officer is a federal offense and may constitute grounds for deportation.
In another viral case, a 15-year-old Venezuelan migrant opened fire at a sneaker store during an attempted shoplifting.
He was arrested and charged as an adult after the bullet struck a Brazilian tourist and he continued to shoot at police while fleeing.
Mayor Eric Adams, a former police officer himself, drew criticism for remarks comparing the Big Apple to L.A.’s Skid Row, a homeless area plagued by sexual assault and drug-related crime
Three NYPD officers were pummeled by a group of migrant men in Times Square and left with minor injuries last month
One of the teens allegedly involved in the assault was arrested after being released on bail, this time for participating in a coordinated robbery of a Macy’s store in Queens
The NYPD touted decreases across several major crime indexes in January including murder, rape, burglary and felony assault
However, stats for other types of theft-related crime – robbery and grand larceny – rose citywide last month
The NYPD touted decreases across several major crime indexes in January. Murder fell by 25 percent; rape by 24.4 percent; burglary by 19.8 percent; grand larceny auto by 3.8 percent; and felony assault by 1.5 percent.
In addition, arrests for all major crimes citywide increased 5.7 percent in January year over year.
But stats for other types of theft-related crime saw an increase – robbery rose 5.4 percent while grand larceny saw a 0.4 percent uptick last month.
The department attributed the increase to ‘organized pickpocket teams’ and so-called ‘lush workers’ targeting drunk or sleeping victims in the subway.
Mayor Eric Adams, a former police officer himself, drew criticism for remarks comparing the Big Apple to L.A.’s Skid Row, one of the most condensed populations of homeless people in the country – and an area plagued by sexual assault and drug offenses.
During a discussion about year-end crime statistics at NYPD headquarters last month, Adams brandished photos of the embattled area, saying: ‘You don’t see this in New York.’
The police department’s promotion of its dance crew drew heated criticism online, with people across the country demanding they focus more on battling crime.
‘This will scare the beejeezes (sic) out of any criminal in NYC,’ one user on X, formerly Twitter, remarked.
‘Well, we now know why all the criminals are able to evade arrest in NYC,’ another commented.
The NYPD’s very public promotion of its dance crew drew heated criticism from X, formerly Twitter users
One netizen remarked: ‘We now know why all the criminals are able to evade arrest in NYC’
New Yorkers themselves were quick to slam the police department
‘Can’t wait for them (to arrive) on the scene and lighten the mood during a brutal homicide case,’ one local quipped
New Yorkers themselves had plenty to add to the conversation. ‘Instead of stopping crime, watch us do the Macarena instead!’ a Brooklyn resident wrote.
‘Can’t wait for them (to) arrive on the scene and lighten the mood during a brutal homicide case,’ a Jets fan snarked.
The officers themselves are acutely aware of the disapproval. ‘I’m just answering 911 jobs all day, all day, all day out of roll call until it’s time to go home,’ Team Vice President Lauren Pagan said.
‘Music is amazing. And when I get to sit here and just listen even if it’s the same song over and over, it’s a nice place to be. Everybody here loves to dance. They love being here.’
Martinez said the club was designed to provide officers with a place to ‘express themselves creatively.’
‘We have a dance team because the mental health kind of takes a toll while doing this job,’ she explained.