New York City is now the latest city in the United States to make its home a more welcoming space for people of all ages. 

The city recently installed a new rule requiring people under the age of 18 to remove the window covers from their homes if they do not want to be photographed or filmed in public, in a bid to curb crime and improve public safety. 

 “This is the first city in America to mandate this,” said city commissioner James Oddo, a Democrat.

“It is the right thing to do.” 

The policy has already had an immediate impact on crime rates in New York, with the city’s homicide rate now falling by about half compared to last year. 

But the window cover ban is not limited to New York.

 It’s also been applied in other cities, including Seattle, Portland, California, and Portland, Maine. 

“People will always be going through the window,” Oddo said. 

According to Oddo’s office, one-third of the city of New York’s population lives in one of the more than 20,000 units that have been designated as “safe spaces” for families and children. 

There are currently more than 1,500 safe spaces in the city, including at least three designated for families with children.

Oddo added that the new policy was meant to ensure that the city was able to protect its residents from violence and other threats, while also being effective in preventing the spread of disease. 

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is expected to announce his new policies later this week.