MOST police precincts in NYC display two green lamps at the entrance. The tradition of green lights dates back to colonial times. According to the NYPD website, “It is believed that the Rattle Watchmen, who patrolled New Amsterdam in the 1650’s, carried lanterns at night with green glass sides in them as a means of identification. When the Watchmen returned to the watch house after patrol, they hung their lantern on a hook by the front door to show people seeking the watchman that he was in the watch house. Today, green lights are hung outside the entrances of Police Precincts as a symbol that the “Watch” is present and vigilant.” I remember that before NYPD patrol cars were painted blue and white, they were green and white, and MTA buses were also green. Lots of green around in the old days.
Here’s a look at the 72nd Precinct on 4th Avenue between 29th and 30th Streets in Greenwood Heights, originally part of “South Brooklyn.” The station is modern and appears to date to the 1960s or 1970s. There are two lamp stanchions at the entrance, but at first glance there appears to be no green glass there. However: a closer look reveals that the words “72nd Precinct” on each globe are painted in green.
Curious about police precinct buildings in Brooklyn? Police NY has photos of some of the old ones.
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10/17/24
6 comments
Green lanterns were also installed in front of the Mayor’s private residence, as there would be a policeman posted there. The lampposts can still be seen on Grammercy Park (former Mayor Harper) and in Greenwich Village (former mayor Walker).
Indeed, police cars and busses were green and white. NYPD cars became light blue, and then white with blue accents. They now have a new livery, which re-introduces the traditional green with green and white stripes on a white car. That provides homage to the “green lantern” heritage and continues to use the traditional blue of the police.
Busses are a different matter. Governor Andrew Cuomo used his influence in 2016 to bring us the current scheme, which is navy blue, light blue and yellow. The MTA is a New York Stage entity, and those are the colors of New York State. Cuomo didn’t hesitate to remind the residents of the City of New York that the State, not the City, provided the busses. He did the same when the Queens-Midtown Tunnel and the Brooklyn-Battery (Hugh L. Carey) Tunnel were rehabilitated after the damage from Superstorm Sandy. They, too, have a new color scheme. Of course, it is navy blue, light blue and yellow – the colors of New York State.
FDNY trucks remain red and will likely still be red long after we are long gone…….
In some areas there is a trend toward painting fire trucks a lime-green color, as researchers say it is the most visible color, more so than red.
New Haven’s fire trucks have always been white.
Lime green is used on many emergency vehicles because it increases their nighttime visibility, especially in more remote locations where roads are either not well-lit or not lit at all. For instance in AZ, Phoenix, the large capital city uses traditional red fir trucks because the urban streets are well-lit. Where I live, fifty miles east of Phoenix, in an unincorporated suburb the fire trucks are lime green for that reason. BTW: because the area is unincorporated there’s no government-operated fire department. We’re covered by Rural Metro & homeowners & renters alike are strongly urged to pay the annual subscription price which also includes no charge for ambulance service to subscribers.
There’s a retired NYPD detective down here in florida who has two light
fixtures on either side of the front door of his house that has green glass
in them.The locals dont know what to make of them and talk amongst themselves
about what they could possibly mean.
If you remember a bunch of years back they tried with some trucks painted lime green. As we know, they’re gone.
Actually, before the police cars got their blue/white paint jobs, they were green & black with a white roof. https://www.policecarwebsite.net/fc/ny/nypd/nypd1960.html