Most Americans would suggest that an armed citizenry would be a far more effective -- and constitutionally legitimate -- way of dealing with 51 rapes than a "Street Crimes Unit."
I'm very pro-gun but NYC has limited the right of its citizens to be armed since early in the 20th Century. The people of NY apparently like it that way since they never do anything about it.
40,000 cops for over 8 million people isn't a lot.