Police Misconduct
Streetsblog Basics
Security Overkill Strikes Again
Maybe it was the NYPD's revenge for the disgracing of rookie cop (and detective's son) Patrick Pogan, now on trial for his brutal takedown two years ago of Critical Mass cyclist Christopher Long. Or perhaps it was just the latest manifestation of the post-9/11 security state, in which everything -- parked bikes, basic mobility, even human life -- is sacrificed on the altar of authorities' notion of safety.
April 22, 2010
NYPD Celebrates Earth Day With Massive Houston Street Bike Clipping
Via Gothamist, local blog This is FYF posts this scene from Houston Street earlier today. Apparently, with President Obama due in town for a speech at Cooper Union, NYPD jumped at the chance to drastically overreact by confiscating New Yorkers' personal property. We haven't been able to confirm with the public information office yet, but This is FYF says police cited "security concerns that bikes might be secret pipe bombs" as their excuse:
April 22, 2010
NYPD Slams Doored Cyclist with Two Summonses, Lets Driver Off the Hook
While riding home from work on the morning of March 22, Rodney Seymour was doored by a truck driver. When the police responded to his 911 call, instead of ticketing the doorer, they hit Seymour with two summonses for improperly equipping his bike.
April 1, 2010
Eyes on the Street: NYPD Chivalry Is Dead on 34th Street
Thanks to tipster ddartley for the latest chapter in NYPD's ongoing mistreatment of bus riders on 34th Street. Yesterday, eight cruisers from northern Queens (precincts 110, 111, 112, 114 and 115) sat parked in the bus lane between Sixth and Seventh Avenues. During evening rush hour. You know, we're starting to think there may be a pattern here.
March 12, 2010
Why Car Chases Are Never Worth the Risk
Peter Moskos is a former Baltimore police officer and an assistant professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice. A version of this essay also appeared on his blog, Cop in the Hood, and in the West Side Spirit.
March 2, 2010
NYPD Admits Error in Pedestrian Death, Says Chases Off-Limits
Karen Schmeer. Image: New York Times The NYPD is no longer denying its involvement — or error — in the January 29 car chase that ended with the death of Karen Schmeer on the Upper West Side. At a meeting of the 24th Precinct’s community council, Deputy Inspector Kathleen O’Reilly laid out the police’s official … Continued
February 18, 2010
Brooklyn Cop Dishes Out Disorderly Conduct Charge to Cyclist Who Ran Red
When Jeff Geisinger biked through a red light on Atlantic Avenue last October, he knew that he might get a traffic ticket. So when a cop pulled him over, he wasn't surprised. He just didn't expect to be handed a summons for disorderly conduct, a criminal violation.
February 4, 2010
Streetfilms Shorties: NYPD Blockage on Manhattan Bridge Approach
The debut Streetfilms Shortie caught an errant scooter blocking a bike lane. This time it's New York's Finest, camped out in the Manhattan Bridge bike path at Canal and Chrystie.
October 8, 2009
Cops on Scooters Trail Greenway Cyclists
May's Bike Month Critical Mass reportedly drew more participants than usual, and NYPD responded by handing out a passel of trumped-up summonses. No surprise there, but as this video (from glassbeadian via Gothamist) shows, officers on scooters went so far as to follow riders down the Hudson River Greenway.
June 4, 2009
NYPD Won’t Acknowledge Eyewitness Accounts in Death of Greenpoint Mom
The NYPD continues to dispute eyewitness accounts of the events that preceded the vehicle-on-pedestrian collision that took the life of Violetta Kryzak, a 38-year-old mother and Greenpoint resident.
May 29, 2009