New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Sunday said the city will spend $1.6 million to equip about 500 bodegas across the five boroughs with panic buttons, allowing staff to contact police directly in emergencies.
The buttons, called SilentShields, will immediately call the New York City Police Department in cases of emergency and will allow officers to see crimes happen in real time, according to a press release.
“This program will bring peace of mind to our bodega owners, while protecting the working-class New Yorkers who work and frequent bodegas," Adams said.
During a weekend press conference, the mayor said the panic button will only be used in "serious incidents" and there will be training available for bodega owners.
SilentShields will allow police officers to save lives, said John Chell, NYPD Chief of Department.
"It gives our responding officers situational awareness to keep them safe. It helps with timely apprehensions, and it gives our detective squad great tools to catch people after the fact," Chell said.
The technology will be distributed through the United Bodegas of America, which will be soliciting competitive bids in the coming months.
"Panic buttons is what's going to save the lives of so many," said Fernando Mateo, the spokesman for UBA. "Not just the lives of bodega owners and workers, but the lives of so many that have ran into a bodega seeking safe shelter, and they've been killed."
