A Plan to Move Police Reporters Into a Trailer Sets Off Complaints

Since the Police Department opened its headquarters at 1 Police Plaza in Manhattan in 1973, reporters have worked in offices inside the building. Their space, nicknamed “the shack,” provides easy access to department officials.

But last week, journalists learned that the administration of Mayor Eric Adams would soon relocate them to a trailer outside the building, prompting news outlets and other organizations to denounce the plan.

The friction arose after several other Adams administration moves that critics have said are meant to hinder scrutiny of government operations. And it came as the mayor suggested that the administration might limit how many reporters each news outlet has in Room 9, the City Hall pressroom.

The trailer outside 1 Police Plaza is much larger than the shack, according to an emailed statement from the police, which said it contains conference rooms and amenities. The move has been in the works since Mr. Adams took office in 2022 and is to create space for reporters from additional outlets that have asked to cover the department, the unsigned statement said.