The Benefits of Fewer NYPD Arrests (Warriors Come Out and Play)

The Atlantic ^ | December 31, 2014 | Matt Ford

[C19fan]

A funny thing happened in New York City last week: Cops stopped arresting people. Not altogether, of course—that would be anarchy. But since last Monday, the number of arrests in America's largest city plummeted by two-thirds compared to the previous year. The decline is a conscious slowdown by New York's police force to protest City Hall's perceived lack of support for law enforcement.

NYPD officers and union leaders have been at odds with Mayor Bill de Blasio in the wake of the Eric Garner case and the killings of Officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos this month. In their latest move, officers have begun a "virtual work stoppage" throughout the city by making fewer low-level arrests and issuing fewer citations. The Patrolmen's Benevolent Association, New York's largest police union, urged its members not to make arrests "unless absolutely necessary," according to the New York Post's report.

[C19fan]

From the photo of the author he looks relatively young. I doubt he was around during the NYC of the Pre-Giuliani years. I was raised in the NYC metro area during the 1970s/80s. The hands off policing Ford advocates was tried during those years. That strategy was an utter failure. The sadistic side of me hopes the policing continues to revert back to the 1970s. Sometimes people like Ford need to learn a painful lesson.

[C19fan]

Apologies for messing up on the source. Should be The Atlantic.

[2ndDivisionVet]

David Dinkens, now in white.

[Wolfie]

Unions, gotta love ‘em.

[Impala64ssa]

Warriors come out and play...

[cripplecreek]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwwY9y6O3hw

[mellow velo]

I'm waiting for de Blasio to start citing these reduced arrest numbers as proof that his Progressive policies have reduced crime in NYC! /sarc

What's that cliche' about figures lie and liars figure?!

[eyeamok]

30 years ago these low level arrests would have NEVER been made in the first place. It is all about Revenue, nothing else. But that was before the transformation from “Peace Officer” to “Law Enforcement Officer”

[eyeamok]

You can bet your last nickel he will soon start to cry about all the Lost Revenue.

[Secret Agent Man]

Massive difference between a genuine peace officer and the current law enforcement officer. Massive difference.

[Forgotten Amendments]

30 years ago these low level arrests would have NEVER been made in the first place. It is all about Revenue, nothing else.

You are exactly correct. And power. Giuliani was power mad. I truly feared him.

[eyeamok]

People under 40 have not a clue as to how little freedom they have left, those of us over 50 know only too well.

[Secret Agent Man]

the public schools have done the socialists’ job extremely well at dumbing down the population, while making them believe they’re smarter than anyone before them.

[Darksheare]

Dinkins: “We’ll just not prosecute the crimes, and that will make the crime rate go down!”

Wally Wilhelm can spin the drop in arrests as a drop in crime rate.
*I know, don’t give him ideas.*

[offwhite]

"by making fewer low-level arrests"

I don't blame them. Eric Garner was a low-level arrest and the police were roundly criticized for it. So I agree they should stop doing them.

The second reason is that the low-level arrestee may be injured or even die while resisting. Why take a chance of losing your job, going to prison, or causing a riot? It's not worth it.

Without these Mickey Mouse arrests, people will have more liberty. Let's see how they handle it and let's see how others react to it.

I got my popcorn. I'm ready.

[Forgotten Amendments]

People under 40 have not a clue as to how little freedom they have left, those of us over 50 know only too well.

You nailed it again!

The past couple of years I've been reading a lot of books about my favorite ballplayers and rock stars from my youth. All the time I run across little details, "Boy, you can't do THAT anymore!" "Wow, that would get you thrown in jail, now". Just trivial things that we gave up years ago. It's quite sad.

[DaveA37]

I believe I read somewhere that De Blasio asked that the NYPD back off on the arrest for minor infractions in hopes it would calm things down a bit. Obviously and error in judgement by the mayor.

[offwhite]

"30 years ago these low level arrests would have NEVER been made in the first place."

True. That's why overall crime was way up. But when the "Broken Window Theory" was implemented in New York, crime went way down.

[Night Hides Not]

My prediction for 2015: Bill deBlazio morphs into Floyd Ferris, as he comes up with new fines and penalties to make up for the lost revenues from declining arrests.

[Kid Shelleen]

>>> If stop-and-frisk had caused the ongoing decline in New York's crime rate, its near-absence would logically halt or even reverse that trend. But the city seems to be doing just fine without it: <<<

I don't think its that simple. One complaint from the ACLU was that the stop and frisk stops continued in high crime areas.
If I recall correctly it took a while for the "broken windows" strategy to reduce crime under Guilliani. I wonder what the crime stats will be in two years from now under Kaiser Wilhelm ?