Congratulations to this year’s Police Commissioner for a Day winner: Gabriel Brown from Tottenville High School in Staten Island! The question posed for the 2022 contest was: How would you, as Police Commissioner for a Day, seek to decrease hate crimes against marginalized populations (groups who are excluded based on gender identity, race, physical ability, sexual orientation, immigration status, etc.) in the city? Here is a quote from Gabriel’s winning essay:
“If I were the Police Commissioner for a day, I would institute numerous programs to target these causes, help protect marginalized groups and reduce the number of hate crimes in New York City. One such program would be named NYC is a team. It would be a program hosted weekly where participants from diverse backgrounds can enjoy fun team building exercises and games in a stress-free, safe environment. This would help members of the community better understand and build relationships with each other, thus discouraging them from committing hate crimes.”
“Another program would be called Share Your Story. This more serious program would focus on diverse members of our community sharing the struggles they have faced during their life with an emphasis on experiences involving acceptance, racism, peer relations and something they could not change. By realizing how people who might have originally seemed so different have so much in common and face every day human problems, attenders of this program will build empathy towards each other and form a common thread.”
Gabriel along with over 40 additional awardees attended the June 6 ceremony, led by NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell and sworn in by Chief of Personnel Martin Morales at 1 Police Plaza. Each awardee also spent time with their NYPD counterparts to learn about their role and responsibilities as a member of the NYPD. Thank you to the NYPD for their help in putting together our first in-person PC for a Day ceremony since 2019.
