Toss Up: What Precinct Should Be In Charge of Policing Barclays? [POLL]

The Barclays Center footprint straddles two police precincts and two community boards—making the decision of which precinct should police the arena when it opens in September a hard one.

Initial reports said that the 78th Precinct, which is only a block away on Sixth Avenue, . However, the Barclays Center is technically located within the 88th Precinct’s borders, but it is a half-mile away from the precinct’s in Clinton Hill. 

On Wednesday Patch reported that the decision, which will be finalized by the Mayor and City Council, .

But, before the "personnel allocation plan" is finalized, the NYPD's Office of Management and Planning (OMAP) will need to analyze census data, crime distribution, call volume, size of precincts, geography and special conditions that say how police police their areas.

Then OMAP will take recommendations from the community and local government before the NYPD Commissioner, Ray Kelly, sends his recommendation to the Mayor who will make a final decision with the City Council.

Since police precincts must coincide with community board boundaries, a variance will have to be voted on by the City Council before a precinct can take over policing. 

CB2 district manager Robert Perris said on Wednesday that it is unlikely that the 88th Precinct will take the lead at Barclays Center since its 19th century-era stationhouse on Classon Avenue is too small to take in the extra officers needed for the job. 

Councilmember Letitia James, D-Brooklyn, before the decision. 

According to James, her solution would be to “place new officers in a police annex dedicated to the Barclays arena site,” with the 77th, 78th and 88th precincts working collaboratively.

“There is no reason to cherry-pick from one precinct over another, and no reason to take vital resources from any precinct,” said James. "The most important factor is ensuring that the officers in these local precincts remain dedicated to community policing.”

What do you think? Who should police the new arena?