MMAAPF Churchill Saying

Helping New York’s Police and People

New York City Police Foundation

Fear affects the way people live. Without a sense of safety, children can’t learn, businesses don’t thrive, cultural institutions lose audiences and neighborhoods collapse. Therefore, the Milstein family and their businesses actively engage with law enforcement agencies and promote anti-crime initiatives. The issues have changed over the years, but the support has remained steadfast.

Street Crime

With the 1989 acquisition of Douglas Elliman came the management of some 250 buildings. These properties were leveraged as a base of operations for a wide-ranging series of programs with the New York City Police Department, supported by the New York City Police Foundation. The doormen in each of the buildings were trained in crime prevention and reporting so that they could provide police with additional eyes on the street. Building residents were offered police-conducted security surveys. Lobby registrations were made available for the “Combat Auto Theft” program.

While Douglas Elliman properties pursued street-level initiatives to fight crime and fear, Milstein Properties hosted police-community breakfasts, a fitness center for sergeants, and space for recognition events and trainings for police officers. Douglas Elliman, Milstein Properties and Emigrant Bank all provided a new means for police to communicate with the public through statement stuffers in their monthly mailings to clients.

Among the many law enforcement and crime prevention programs initiated by the Milsteins and their businesses in the 1990s were:

  • Streetwise Maps and Tourist Guides for distribution to NYPD patrol officers and Police Academy cadets.
  • The doorman training program was launched by Douglas Elliman and the program was so effective that NYPD implemented it citywide.
  • Howard Milstein initiated the NYPD Heroes Award, a cash prize to good Samaritans who performed an extraordinary act of heroism at a crime scene and were recommended by the Police Department.
  • The Milsteins subsidized the eight-year participation of a renowned criminologist on the Mayor’s Juvenile Justice Advisory Board.
  • Funds were raised to purchase and install surveillance cameras in subways.
  • The Milford Plaza Hotel provided ten days of meeting space, lodgings and food for the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) program trainings in New York. Bringing this highly touted national program to New York City was a top priority of then-Police Commissioner Howard Safir. The Milsteins played a key role in its realization.
  • The Milsteins supported the participation of an award-winning criminologist and nationally known police expert on Police Commissioners’ Advisory Boards to assist in improving all aspects of police performance and community relations.
  • Howard Milstein donated the advisory services of Peer Logic to NYPD to coordinate and upgrade its three MIS systems, in order to help detectives in their criminal investigations and save vast amounts of investigative time. He also supported and raised funds for a computerized mapping project.
  • Howard Milstein contributed to the creation of the New York City Police Museum.
  • Ongoing support is given to the New York City Police Foundation, Police Athletic League, and NYPD Emerald Society.

“We can no longer delegate the responsibility of protecting our way of life solely to our military and the cop on the beat. That responsibility is ours as citizens.”

— Howard Milstein

Visit Website: New York City Police Foundation

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