Sergeant Jovanny Calderon heads the Brooklyn Public Safety unit. For a decade an NYPD plain-clothed unit has blended in with Brooklyn commuters as they patrol the bowls of the borough for subway crime.
Photo by Dean Moses
For a decade, an NYPD plain-clothed unit has seamlessly blended in with Brooklyn commuters, riding along with them while looking to stop crime — and amNewYork Metro was given a glimpse into their undercover operation.
According to Sergeant Jovanny Calderon, the Public Safety Unit focuses on combatting quality-of-life crimes within the transit system, such as stopping individuals who are smoking or drinking alcohol on the platforms and in train carriages, while also catching fare evaders hopping the turnstiles. They also keep a keen eye out for wanted criminals.
During the ride-along, the unit members weaved their way between commuters, riding subway trains and inspecting both subway platforms and entrances, with little notice from the other straphangers. Calderon is the only visible team member that you will see here; the other members’ faces are not shown to protect their anonymity.
On Jan. 10, amNewYork Metro sat in on a roll call meeting at Transit District 30 inside the Hoyt/Schermerhorn Street Station. Here, Sgt. Calderon briefed his team on their mission for the evening’s shift, which included seeking several knife-wielding suspects.
“We had a slashing. It was a fight first, and then unfortunately, the fight turned very violent, and somebody got injured,” Sgt. Calderon explained.
Police say that particular incident took place on New Year’s Day at the Fulton Street station, where six men got into a verbal dispute with a 23-year-old man. The victim was stabbed and slashed in the neck and head before he was rushed to Brooklyn Hospital; he was released after treatment.
After roll call, amNewYork Metro trailed behind Calderon and his squad as they scoured the transit system for the wanted men, and others causing problems…
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