Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly today dedicated a new police station house serving the 33rd Precinct in Washington Heights. Mayor Bloomberg, Commissioner Kelly and Commanding Officer Captain James Wilcox presided over the ribbon-cutting for the new facility located at 2207 Amsterdam Avenue.

"This is a great day for the officers of the Three-Three and for the people of Washington Heights," Mayor Bloomberg said. "This new state-of-the-art police station house will greatly help the officers of the 33rd Precinct as they continue to serve and protect the people of this community and improve their quality of life."

"The dedication of this new building is the final stage of a project that began eight years ago today," said Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly. "The Washington Heights community deserves this new station house -- so do the dedicated members of the New York City Police Department who work here. It is a symbol of our permanent commitment to the residents of this community."

On October 4, 1994, the NYPD divided Manhattan's northernmost precinct - the 34th Precinct - into two precincts to better serve the growing populations of Inwood and Washington Heights. Since October of 1994, crime in the 33rd Precinct has declined by more than 60%. This year, murders have decreased by over 33% in the precinct and burglaries have fallen by more than 17%.