Mayor Eric Adams revealed on Sunday that about 500 wineries throughout the Big Apple will soon be equipped with panic buttons, although he will not say what will be to keep criminals in suspense.
Holding a panic button in front of the Pamela Green Deli winery, located in the 1798 of Crotona Avenue in the Bronx, the mayor explained that his administration is making an investment of $ 1.6 million to equip the stores with technology that immediately connect workers with the NYPD in case of emergency.
“We are going to have direct communication with the Police Department, 500 wineries, $ 1.6 million that we are investing in this initiative,” said Mayor Adams. “Instead that only cats are fried, we will have a direct connection with the police to scare those dangerous cats that try to steal our stores.”
The mayor said that he will not reveal in which stores the devices will be installed so that the possible criminals do not know which they will be. He did indicate that they will be placed in wineries with the highest levels of crime to improve the security of personnel and customers.
Called “Silentshields”, the buttons will not only activate a police response, but will also connect the agents with the cameras of the premises so that they can see the crime in real time.
“Silentshields gives tranquility to workers and also functions as a crime prevention tool. It allows a quick response to potentially violent situations and helps save lives,” said the head of the NYPD department, John Chell. “Ultimately, it helps keep everyone safe and send a clear message.”
Violent aggressions against store workers have been a worrying trend in recent months. On March 19, Amnewyork won a video where a man stabs a 24 -year -old warehouse worker in Harlem during an attempted robbery.
Earlier this year, on January 5, an armed man shot at a 16 -year -old boy inside a store in Brooklyn.
The spokesperson for the United Bodegueros Association, Fernando Mateo, said he would like to see the technology immediately installed.
“There is no reason not to start tomorrow, it is in the budget,” Mateo said. “That’s what we expect, start immediately.”
