The Pitch Letter
To Zach,
I have been following the stories you cover, and I must say they inspire a lot as they always address emerging issues affecting society and give possible solutions to the problems. As a New York resident, I thought you would like to join me as I research and report about the chronic cases of robbery and other crimes in the Queens neighborhood in New York.
The residents have been living in fear following the rise of armed robbery in local stores and streets. Despite the police protecting the facilities, the cases have constantly been emerging. I wonder what is wrong because this goes on even when the police are on duty. I think the police department should be investigated to determine what they are not doing right.
As a New York resident, I have witnessed terrifying robbery that has left many innocent New York residents to lose their lives and property. These criminal cases have continuously been increasing momentously, and now armed robbery has turned out to be the most common type of crime in New York. Our concern is that these acts have hit levels that cannot be easily put to an end, and this is due to faster-growing numbers of law-breakers.
It should be noted with much consideration that the pre-existing security measures such as installation of surveillance cameras, neighborhood policing program, and boosting the security system have resulted in little or no success at all.
However minor it could be, the police should also be sensitive to any form of crime and take the required action per the law because it is the right of every citizen to be protected.
With your support as an editor, I have faith that the story am covering will help call out the police who are reluctant to clear the menace that has almost turned the Queens neighborhood into a crime scene. I anticipate your response on the matter as I continue preparing the reporting plan, which I will share in due course.
Thanks,
Name.
Contacts.
Robbery in Queens Neighborhoods In New York
According to the New York City Police Department (NYPD), the number of armed robbery cases has increased in the recent past. To compact the rise in crime in this area, NYPD and property owners have heightened surveillance systems, but still, the cases are not reducing (Mendez, 2020). It is sad to note that the crimes lead to property loss and cause physical injuries and sometimes deaths in crime scenes.
The solutions to the crimes should be diverse and should not be limited to setting up surveillance systems and tracking the law-breakers. It should be a wholly transformative process, including police reforms where the response rate is improved so that they can arrest the criminals on the scenes of crime, thus enabling them to get enough evidence to prosecute them (Asher & Horwitz, 2020).
Residents have complained of police negligence as police do not arrive at the crime scenes early enough; they also fail to do proper investigations that can enable the arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators (PODS, 2020). After the public outcry, the NYPD developed a neighborhood policing program that has turned out to be the cornerstone of the police department reforms (New York City Police Department, 2020). It is a well-planned initiative that has a strategy for fighting crime and improving the relationship and communication between the police and the public. The process has led to the reforming of the patrol systems and methods of compacting crime to reduce crime, enhance trust and encourage respect for property and life, and increase collaboration when solving problems.
According to Rebecca Edwards, 2020, a security professional, safety, and technological reporter, New York City crime rate decreased before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic (Edwards, 2020). However, the number of murders, robbery, and shootings have been on the rise since the government imposed the movement restrictions to curb the spread of COVID-19. According to the recent NYPD crime statistics report, murder and burglary have been on the rise in 2020, whereas other forms of crime were on a decline by a margin of 1.13% over the previous year, the town has also realized a 32% spike in murders translating to 89 more cases compared to the year 2019 (Edwards, 2020). To do detailed research and finally a good report, I intend to interview several people who will be picked from the residents, the police, and the state government.
Interview Questions
- What causes crime in New York?
- How effective is the neighborhood policing program introduced by the New York City Police Department?
- Are residents of New York supporting the neighborhood policing program?
- As the police commissioner of New York, what are other reforms you implemented to compact crime in the region?
- How is the government collaborating with the police to ensure that the city is crime-free?
- What initiatives is the government putting in place, especially now when there is a pandemic, to cushion residents from the ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic so as discourage crime?
- There has been a rise in violence and crime committed by the youth, especially after the onset of the pandemic. What can be done to stop them from engaging in crime?
- What is the relationship between lockdown, COVID-19, and crime?
- What makes the crime rates higher in the queen’s neighborhood compared to the affluent areas?
- How effective is the legal justice system in New York in administering justice to the victims of crimes?
References
Asher, J., & Horwitz, B. (2020). How do the police spend their time? The New York Times. Web.
Edwards, R. (2020). Crime and the Coronavirus: What you need to know. SafeWise. Web.
Mendez, C. (2020). “The revolution will not be televised”: Looking at the 1964 freedom day boycott as a means of combating educational Segregation in New York City today. CMC Senior Theses. Web.
New York City Police Department. (2020). Shared Responsibility viewbook. Cloud.3dissue. Web.
PODS. (2020). NYC Moving Guide: Find the best neighborhoods in Queens, New York. Containing the Chaos. Web.