NEW YORK: New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced $1.6 million in funding to equip an estimated 500 bodegas across the five boroughs with “SilentShields” buttons that bodega staff can press to immediately call the New York City Police Department (NYPD) in cases of emergency.
Distributed through an emergency grant to the United Bodega Association (UBA), these buttons will be installed in bodegas with the highest levels of crime to improve staff and customer safety.
SilentShields will be directly connected to cameras in the bodega and to the NYPD, allowing officers to see crimes unfold in real time, respond faster, and help save lives, and will work in direct coordination with another program Mayor Adams launched last year to help local business to voluntarily share information in real-time with the NYPD through existing closed-circuit television cameras as they seek to solve crimes.
Included in Mayor Adams’ Fiscal Year 2026 Executive Budget — the “Best Budget Ever” — this investment will help build a safer city and ensure that bodegas, critical small businesses that support every neighborhood across the city, have the security and support they need to keep both their staff and customers safe.
“Bodegas are part of the heart and soul of New York City. They are on every corner; they are there for us at all hours. As we continue rolling out our ‘Best Budget Ever,’ I’m proud to announce $1.6 million in funding to equip an estimated 500 bodegas across the five boroughs with ‘SilentShields’ that will immediately connect bodega staff with the NYPD in cases of emergency,” said Mayor Adams.
“This program will bring peace of mind to our bodega owners, while protecting the working-class New Yorkers who work and frequent bodegas. Our bodegas are essential to New York City, and, with this investment, we’re telling these small businesses: Your city has your back.”
“Bodegas aren’t only engines of economic growth for our neighborhoods, they’re community cornerstones where families, youth, and every kind of New Yorker come together,” said First Deputy Mayor Randy Mastro.
“We heard the call loud and clear from our small businesses, and true to the Adams administration’s unshakeable commitment, we’re doing all we can to make sure that our communities are safe for all. With this investment in an estimated 500 Silent Shields, bodegas in high-need areas will now have a direct line to NYPD, establishing real-time viewing and increased response times, ultimately saving the lives of patrons and workers alike.”
“Bodegas are essential to life in this city — and the people who run them deserve real protection,” said NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch.
“With this new technology, we’re giving them a direct link to the NYPD, so we can see what’s happening in real time and respond immediately. This is what smart policing looks like: precise, fast, and built on the trust of the communities we serve. Thanks to Mayor Adams’ investment, we’re protecting New Yorkers where they live and work.”
“‘SilentShields’ are a game changer for New York City Bodega workers,” said Fernando Mateo, spokesman, UBA.
“For too long, bodega workers have suffered in silence, while help was out of reach. But today, that silence ends. Thanks to Mayor Adams, SilentShields will give our workers a lifeline directly to the NYPD. This is about saving lives, restoring peace of mind, and making it clear: New York will no longer abandon its essential bodega workers.”
“We thank Mayor Adams for taking real action,” said Radhamés Rodríguez, president, UBA.
“We came to the mayor and he didn’t hesitate to offer his support because our blue-collar mayor knows just how important bodegas are to their communities.”
UBA will solicit competitive bids for SilentShield technology and aims to begin installation in the coming months.
The announcement comes on the heels of Mayor Adams’ “Budget Week,” where the Adams administration unveiled signature investments in the “best budget ever,” which will make New York City safer, more affordable, and the best place to raise a family, while maintaining record-high reserves and ensuring a strong fiscal future for the City of New York.
