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NYPD Makes Arrests For Social Distance Violations As More Officers Call Out Sick
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Apr 3, 2020
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By
Christopher Robbins
Published Apr 3, 2020
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Mayor Bill de Blasio has said that while most New Yorkers are obeying the state's order to maintain social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic, the NYPD would be enforcing the rules with warnings and fines. "I don't want to give fines unless we have to, but fines will be given if warnings are given and folks are told, 'If you don't disperse, we're going to start fining you,'" de Blasio told WNYC's Brian Lehrer on Friday morning. "So our officers have to be urgent about it."
It's not clear how many of these fines have been given out since the state's PAUSE order went into effect nearly two weeks ago, but at least three New Yorkers were arrested last week in Brooklyn for not adhering to social distancing.
According to a criminal complaint, the three people were "hanging out" with a group of roughly 25 people outside 330 Vernon Avenue last Friday at 10:30 p.m. when officers told them to disperse; after being told on "multiple occasions" to leave, the defendants did not, and were arrested and charged with obstructing governmental administration, unlawful assembly, and disorderly conduct.
A woman arrested with the group told The Intercept that she and her boyfriend, who was also arrested, were merely standing near the larger group of people who were in a parking lot when they were approached by unmasked NYPD officers.
The interaction quickly escalated and officers pepper-sprayed two people as a crowd gathered to watch what was happening. “They actually brought the crowd inside that parking lot once they started bothering me,” she said.
The woman said she then spent the next 36 hours in police custody in crowded cells with no protection against coronavirus except for a squirt of hand sanitizer. She told the Intercept that her boss told her to stay home from work because of her potential exposure to COVID-19.
A law enforcement source told Gothamist that people were drinking in the group and that they were being "particularly aggressive." But according to the complaint, no one was charged with public intoxication, possessing an open container of alcohol, or resisting arrest.
The NYPD has not answered our questions about the incident. The department issues a "Daily Coronavirus Report" that notes how many public places officers visit each day to ensure compliance with state regulations, but does not state how many individuals have been fined or arrested for violating social distancing rules.
On Brian Lehrer, the mayor claimed that the encounter embodied the spirit of "neighborhood policing" that his administration has pursued.
"This is about educating people, helping them understand the new reality, warning them if they're not following the guidance that they're actually creating a danger for themselves and others."
On Tuesday, Governor Andrew Cuomo urged the NYPD to "get more aggressive" about enforcing the PAUSE rules.
As of Wednesday, 6,498 officers of the NYPD have called out sick in response to the COVID-19 pandemic—roughly 18 percent of the 36,000 uniformed work force—and more than 1,500 NYPD employees have tested positive for the novel coronavirus. A detective and at least six civilian employees have died due to complications from the novel coronavirus.
"I know that you're scared, we're all scared, but we're gonna get through this," NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea said in a Periscope video earlier this week. "I can tell you that we're in good shape, despite so many people going down with the sickness, we're in good shape because everyone is pitching in."
Major crimes have decreased by about 4 percent compared to this time last year, including a 37 percent decrease in grand larcenies over the last two weeks compared to the same time period in 2019, according to the NYPD, though officials have cautioned that rape and domestic violence cases are likely being underreported.
NY1 reported that emergency calls to the police department have decreased by about 25 percent, though 311 routes around 600 calls to the NYPD each day concerning people who aren't adhering to social distancing measures. The NYPD has also stopped responding to car crashes that do not result in injuries, to free up more officers.
Some officers told the Times that a lack of personal protective equipment led to the rise in COVID-19 cases in the NYPD. “It’s a damn shame that a city like New York that is the epicenter of the coronavirus and the financial capital of the world can’t afford a $3 mask,” one officer stationed in the South Bronx told the paper.
On Monday, the NYPD Police Foundation announced that they had purchased 150,000 masks, 150,000 gloves and 150,000 packets of hand sanitizer at a cost of $500,000.
"All the requests that are coming in from your commanders...are being filled on a 24 hour basis, really on an hourly basis," Shea said in his video message. "We're not in a position where we can say we cannot fill requests."
Tagged
COVID-19
nypd
coronavirus
Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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