Police Magazine Logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

NYPD Officers Post Photos of Vagrants Online to Show Importance of Quality of Life Policing

NYPD officers fed up with vagrants making life miserable in the city are taking matters into their own hands — by snapping photos of quality-of-life scofflaws and posting them online.

August 10, 2015
NYPD Officers Post Photos of Vagrants Online to Show Importance of Quality of Life Policing

Homeless man sleeping on the street in New York City. (Photo: SBA via Flicker)

2 min to read



NYPD officers fed up with vagrants making life miserable in the city are taking matters into their own hands — by snapping photos of quality-of-life scofflaws and posting them online.

The Sergeants Benevolent Association is spearheading the effort, emailing a letter to members Monday urging them and their families and friends to take pictures to document the decline of A homeless man pictured walking the New York City streets.

Ad Loading...

“As you travel about the city of New York, please utilize your smartphones to photograph the homeless lying in our streets, aggressive panhandlers, people urinating in public or engaging in open-air drug activity, and quality-of-life offenses of every type,” says the letter from SBA President Ed Mullins, a major critic of Mayor Bill de Blasio.

The union then “will notify our public officials in writing of what is being observed,” he said.

The first set of snapshots uploaded to the SBA’s account on the photo-sharing site Flickr shows a raggedy panhandler approaching cars stopped at a red light, someone sleeping on pizza boxes outside a park and several people slumped on sidewalks with cups and signs begging for handouts.

Similar shots have recently appeared in The Post — including a Page 1 photo of a man relieving himself on an Upper West Side street — as complaints have surged about vagrants camping out on sidewalks and taking over parks.

Mullins told the New York Post he was responding to the past two years of “failed policies, more homeless encampments on city streets, a 10 percent increase in homicides, and the diminishing of our hard-earned and well-deserved public perception of the safest large city in America.”

More Patrol

Hands insert an Adept Armor protective plate into a camouflage tactical plate carrier, demonstrating how the armor plate fits inside the vest.
PatrolSeptember 17, 2026

Adept Armor Introduces Two New Rifle Plates

Adept Armor has launched two new Level IV ballistic plates, the Emperor and the Archon Mark 2, which brings Adept Armor’s new Quatroid ceramic to the high-threat, performance-value center of the range at 5.2 pounds.

Read More →
Open Benchmade folding knife with a bronze-colored blade, textured dark handle, and braided lanyard resting on weathered wooden boards.
Patrolby Wayne ParhamSeptember 17, 2026

POLICE Product Test: Benchmade Bailout

The Benchmade Bailout is a slim, lightweight carry knife with a deep-ride pocket clip and comes in a variety of blade steels and scales. Here is a detailed review of the Taiga Green Bailout, released earlier this year.

Read More →
Officer of the Month graphic honoring Deputy Lorne Juday of the Osceola County, Michigan, Sheriff’s Office for July 2026, featuring a portrait of Juday in uniform.
PatrolSeptember 17, 2026

NLEOMF Announces July 2026 Officer of the Month

NLEOMF honored a Michigan deputy sheriff as the July 2026 Officer of the Month for rescuing a trapped driver from a burning vehicle following a Fourth of July crash.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Streamlight promotional graphic featuring the LiteBox 1 Million handheld light and Portable Scene Light III, highlighting products displayed for the 2026 National Safety Council Safety Congress & Expo in Indianapolis, Sept. 14–16.
PatrolSeptember 10, 2026

Streamlight to Showcase Newest Lighting Products at National Safety Council’s Safety Congress & Expo 2026

Streamlight will showcase its latest lights, including the Portable Scene Light III and the LiteBox 1Million, at the 2026 National Safety Council (NSC) Safety Congress & Expo.

Read More →
Graphic promoting the 2027 World Police & Fire Games in Perth, Australia, featuring an aerial city view and photos of international participants carrying Brazilian and Australian flags.
PatrolSeptember 10, 2026

The 2027 World Police & Fire Games Set for Perth, Australia

The 2027 World Police & Fire Games (WPFG) will take place in Perth, Western Australia, from Friday, March 12 through Sunday, March 21, 2027.

Read More →
New York City skyline at night with the Tribute in Light beams illuminating the sky in remembrance of September 11, with the 5.11 logo in the upper left.
PatrolSeptember 10, 2026

5.11 Partners with National Fallen Firefighters Foundation to Support #ForThe343

5.11 has joined the nationwide movement honoring the 343 New York City Fire Department firefighters lost on Sept. 11, 2001.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Team Wendy graphic announcing sponsorship of the Jorge Pastore Foundation, featuring a black-and-white photo of Austin Police Officer Jorge Pastore, whose end of watch was November 11, 2023.
PatrolAugust 27, 2026

Team Wendy Announces Title Sponsorship of the Jorge Pastore Foundation

Team Wendy’s 3-year partnership with the Jorge Pastore Foundation expands access to programs that strengthen those who serve.

Read More →
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund graphic for the 2026 9/11 commemoration ceremony beside a close-up of a police officer’s badge, with blurred emergency lights in the background.
PatrolAugust 27, 2026

National Law Enforcement Memorial and Museum Hosting 9/11 25th-Year Commemoration Ceremony

The National Law Enforcement Memorial and Museum is hosting a 9/11 25th Year Commemoration Ceremony on Sept. 11 at 4 p.m.

Read More →
Officer of the Month graphic for June 2026 honoring officers of the Chico, California, Police Department, featuring the department’s police badge and a rose emblem.
PatrolAugust 20, 2026

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund Announces June 2026 Officers of the Month

The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF) named 15 officers of the Chico Police Department (California) as the Officers of the Month for June 2026 for their roles in responding to an active-shooter incident at a public library.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Three smartphone screens display the Team Wendy community app, featuring tactical gear content, upcoming events, news, surveys, and navigation tools for warranty, sizing, and user profiles.
PatrolAugust 13, 2026

Team Wendy App Creates New Digital Hub for Helmet Owners

The Team Wendy Community App provides one location for warranty registration, size-fit tools, product updates, and community connection. For helmet owners, the new app creates a simpler path to the information and tools that matter most.

Read More →