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Unruly Pier 45 Could Get NYPD Command Center, Cops Say

By Andrea Swalec | January 26, 2012 1:10pm | Updated on January 26, 2012 7:43pm
PIer 45, known as the Christopher Street Pier, in the West Village.
PIer 45, known as the Christopher Street Pier, in the West Village.
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Flickr/Mat McDermott

GREENWICH VILLAGE — Look for more cops on the popular Christopher Street Pier this summer.

Police said Wednesday they're hoping to turn a vacant information booth at Pier 45 into an NYPD outpost in response to concerns from Village residents, who have long complained about disorder and noise at the Hudson River hot spot.

"We're looking to turn that information booth into a permanent police outpost during the summer,"  Deputy Inspector Brandon del Pozo, the Sixth Precinct's commanding officer, said at a Wednesday night meeting.

The booth is now part of the comfort station at the base of Pier 45.

Pier 45 has been a hangout for gay and lesbian New Yorkers for decades. It's also been a source of controversy, pitting LGBT advocates — who say the pier provides safe haven for youth who have nowhere else to go — against some in the community who say the pier is a source of trouble.

The 6th Precinct is in the initial stages of planning a command center on the West Village's Pier 45.
The 6th Precinct is in the initial stages of planning a command center on the West Village's Pier 45.
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DNAinfo/Andrea Swalec

The pier, where some youth have complained that police target them unfairly, was recently featured in the film "Pariah."

The creation of such a command center alongside the comfort station's restrooms would require cooperation with NYPD headquarters and the Hudson River Park Trust, which manages the pier, del Pozo said. 

The Trust said in response to the proposal that it has been a longtime participant in conversations about uses of the pier, which is located on the Hudson River just north of Christopher Street.

"We remain closely engaged in working with the community board, elected officials, the precinct and other leaders who are trying to develop creative and appropriate solutions," a spokeswoman said.

"As always, we will work closely with the NYPD to coordinate security."

Other ideas for stopping quality-of-life problems on the pier and surrounding streets have been to pair LGBT youth with police and Parks Enforcement Patrol officers, and to produce arts events that would engage both residents and visitors.