NYPD Officers Appears To Have Launched Work Slowdown

For several weeks now, it appears NYPD officers, the largest force in the nation, has launched a work slowdown.

Though police union officials have denied any organized action as such, there’s no denying statistics showing that arrests for low-level offenses and parking and traffic tickets have dropped dramatically.

During the first week of 2015 and in a city of 8 million, NYPD arrested three people for turnstile jumping, compared to 400 during the same week in 2014.

More than 16,000 parking summonses were handed out in early 2014; a little over 1,000 were handed out over the same week this year—at a loss of about $10 million-a-week in city revenue. And courts are less busy, too, the Daily News reports, as misdemeanor arraignments are also down.

NYPD work slowdown

The apparent work slowdown has come weeks after two NYPD police officers were shot and killed execution-style in Brooklyn, NY., which has created a very visible hostility between police officers and Mayor De Blasio.

Even during the funeral of both officers, some NYPD officers were seen turning their back on the mayor as he entered the premises.

Some have even said the work slowdown could also be a response to the anti-police brutality protests, which many have occurred in New York City.

Nonetheless, the action by the police force in itself whether intentional or not, clearly shows that a real conversation needs to be had on policing.

The Marshall Project did an interesting story entitled “Life Without Police” as journalist Eli Hager went to Marcy Projects in Brooklyn to hear residents, in particular black and brown men, thoughts on the NYPD’s behavior and what it’s like now since the significant change in policing.

Read more on The Marshall Project