Mayor Bill de Blasio and NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton are encouraging public participation in the city's new neighborhood policing model. 

The two spoke from a police precinct Wednesday, saying neighborhoods will become safer through stronger bonds between officers and the people they serve. 

They are asking that everyone take the time to get to know the cops who patrol their streets and to let them know where there are problems. They say officers will be appreciative and will be getting to know residents too. 

De Blasio also mentioned steps that the city has already taken in order to improve relations, such as reforming stop-and-frisk, stopping arrests for low-level marijuana possession and retraining officers on how to diffuse confrontations.