Order and Discipline: Hive Management Unit
In an unexpected turn of events, the New York Police Department's (NYPD) Beekeeping Unit was called into action over the weekend, successfully resolving a honeybee issue at St. George Ferry Terminal in Staten Island. The incident, which involved thousands of honeybees swarming at the terminal, was initially reported by The New York Times and later covered by NPR.
The NYPD's Beekeeping Unit, a part of the Emergency Service Unit, is made up of officers with beekeeping expertise. They responded swiftly to the scene, working to ensure public safety while preserving the bee population. The bees were found swarming in a busy public space, posing a potential risk and disturbance to commuters and pedestrians.
The beekeeping unit's mission is to safely relocate the bees without causing harm to them or the public. They typically respond to calls involving bee swarms appearing in public spaces, especially crowded urban areas. Between 2019 and 2024, the NYPD beekeeper has responded to dozens of swarm and hive removals across New York City, mostly in Manhattan and Brooklyn, but they also assist in other boroughs when needed.
The process often involves the use of Emergency Service Unit officers equipped to access difficult spots, sometimes with bucket trucks, to extract bees quickly and safely. The bees involved in swarms during the summer are usually non-aggressive as they do not have a hive to defend. This behaviour signals colony expansion and search for new homes and is an important part of the urban ecosystem.
The resolution of the honeybee issue at St. George Ferry Terminal was described as "unbee-lievable" by NPR. The beekeeping unit was able to extract the bees with only one reported sting, demonstrating their expertise and commitment to both public safety and environmental balance.
The presence of bee swarms, while alarming to some, is actually a positive ecological sign. The city encourages beekeeping and has installed "bee hotels" to support bee populations. The NYPD's beekeeping unit ensures public safety while supporting this environmental balance by carefully removing and relocating bees when swarms appear in heavily trafficked or sensitive areas.
In summary, the NYPD’s beekeeping unit provides expert and rapid response to bee swarms, preserving both public safety and bee populations in the urban environment. Their recent success at St. George Ferry Terminal is a testament to their dedication and skill.
The NYPD's Beekeeping Unit, a specialized team within the Emergency Service Unit, is not only focused on ensuring public safety but also on preserving bee populations by safely relocating them from busy public spaces, such as St. George Ferry Terminal, when they swarm, as seen in the recent incident. The unit's mission extends to responding to swarm and hive removals across all five boroughs of New York City, reflecting their dedication to maintaining an ecological balance between public safety and supporting urban bee populations.
