Should NYPD Officers Be Forced To Live In The City?

Almost half the force commutes in from the suburbs [View this email in your browser]( Would Policing Improve If NYPD Officers Didn't Commute In From Outside New York City? Plus: Governors Island is reopening. An ad for an e-bike got yanked off the air in France. And what if the entire island of Manhattan banned private cars? By [James Ramsay](mailto:james@wnyc.org?subject=We%20the%20Commuters) [a group of NYPD officers stand in riot gear preparing to deal with protests] Michael Nigro/Shutterstock About 42% of NYPD officers commute into the city from outside the five boroughs, according to [data released in 2016]( with about a quarter living on Long Island and 13% in counties north of the Bronx. Now, as protesters in the city continue to push for defunding the police — even after [years of reform]( under Mayor Bill de Blaiso — the fact that so many cops don't live in the city has reemerged as a fundamental problem. From [her research]( based on 800 conversations in highly-policed neighborhoods around the country, Johns Hopkins professor Velsa Weaver said a common refrain was that cops who live in a distant suburb aren’t as well equipped as local civilians for keeping that neighborhood safe. "It was that idea that the community knew best," Weaver [told Gothamist](. "And that the police were these kind of outsiders who would come in, police for an 8-hour shift, and then leave." Ife Charles, the director of anti-violence projects for the city-based nonprofit Save Our Streets, said that NYPD community affairs officers have done a good job building relationships with locals, but they make up a small minority of the police force. "Most of our police are not from the community they police," she said. "So when they come in, they’re coming to make an arrest. Not too often are they coming to defuse." While cities like [Buffalo]( now require many cops to live within the city limits, Mayor de Blasio has argued — [as recently as today]( — that "a lot" of NYPD officers live in the suburbs for economic reasons. But a closer breakdown of which cops live outside the city tells a different story. Since 2014, Black NYPD officers have made up about 15% of the police force. And yet, 77% of those cops live within the five boroughs, according to [FiveThirtyEight](. Only 45% of white cops live in the city. And while the NYPD has become more diverse overall since 2014, the [New York Times]( reports that two-thirds of the officers in top ranks are still white. So if the officers who disproportionately hold lower-paying positions can afford to live closer to the communities they police, couldn't the rest of the force? There's Now A 'Black Lives Matter' Mural In Front Of Trump Tower [a Black Lives Matter mural being painted on Fifth Avenue] C.S. Muncy/Gothamist Today, New York City is painting a Black Lives Matter street mural on Fifth Avenue between 56th and 57th streets, facing Trump Tower. It's the fifth such mural to go up in the past month — there are similar ones in Harlem, Lower Manhattan, Downtown Brooklyn, and on Staten Island. "I’m extremely proud to be here today. Black lives matter," retired Manhattan resident Ellen Myers, 70, [told the New York Post]( as she watched the painting happen. "This country has treated people of color less than whites, which has resulted in what we’re seeing go on in the news. This administration has encouraged racism in this country and I think this is the perfect place for this mural." The painting was [originally scheduled]( to begin last Thursday, but was delayed until this week. — [Reporting by Ben Yakas]( Governors Island Reopens Next Week, Giving New Yorkers More Room To Spread Out [a drone shot from overhead of Governor's Island] Jake Dobkin/Gothamist Governors Island will open to the public on July 15th, with ferries running from South Street in Manhattan. On the 18th, ferries will begin running out of and Atlantic Basin in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Capacity will be limited on both the island and the ferries, meaning all visitors will need to reserve tickets. The Trust for Governors Island said it's making the ferries free to all NYCHA residents, seniors and select community-based organizations, in order to make the island more accessible for New Yorkers underserved by parks. While Governors Island National Monument, including Fort Jay and Castle Williams, will remain temporarily closed, bike rentals will be available, and the island's food vendors will be open. All visitors will be required to wear face coverings while riding the ferry, and wherever social distancing is not possible. — [Reporting by Jen Carlson]( Here's What Else Is Happening The largest MTA workers' union wants the police on buses giving fines to people not wearing face masks. "If someone doesn’t have a mask, they should be escorted off the bus and hit with a $100 fine like farebeating," said TWU Local 100 president Tony Utano, who added that MTA police and NYPD officers should both be put on the job. He said bus drivers are reporting that about half their passengers aren't properly covering their faces. The MTA pushed back against the union's call for more enforcement, saying "the vast majority" of bus riders are wearing masks. ([New York Post]( What if all of Manhattan banned private cars? Former New York City urban planning official Vishaan Chakrabarti has a proposal to rid the island of all vehicles that aren't taxis or delivery trucks, and to fill in much of the nearly 3,500 acres of roadways and parking spots with bike lanes, bus lanes, and pedestrian areas. His argument is that Manhattan residents are already accustomed to getting around without cars, and those who do drive know how slow traffic is (about 7 mph). If any place in the country could experiment with a car ban, it's probably Manhattan. ([The New York Times]( Meanwhile...car purchases in the city are picking up. Cars.com reported that through June, walk-ins at New York City-area car dealerships were up 38% this year, compared to an overall nationwide increase of 6%. A national survey found that 20% of the people looking to buy cars in 2020 hadn't planned to do so prior to the pandemic. Local dealers say that's the case in New York, where more car-buyers are looking for cheap, used, subcompact sedans and hatchbacks. ([The Wall Street Journal]( The MTA is welcoming employees back to its offices with new pandemic guidelines. No more than 30% of the people who normally work at the MTA's 2 Broadway headquarters can be there at the same time. They're split into A and B groups, and switch off on which days they go in. The kitchen is only for getting stuff out of the fridge or using the microwave. And handshakes are strongly discouraged. The agency is hoping that its own guidelines can serve as a model for other employers trying to bring people back into the office safely. ([THE CITY]( About 9,000 new digital screens are being installed in subway stations to give service updates — and display ads. The MTA said it's using this moment of relatively low ridership to install thousands of screens, which will replace the long, confusing sheets of paper and be able to display the most current service change information available. In addition, the agency said it's using the screens as a way to generate more ad revenue while it faces a $10 billion budget deficit. ([AM New York]( This E-Bike Commercial Was Banned In France For Creating Fear And Anxiety About Cars [the VanMoof e-bike, seen in side profile in the ad] Screenshot/YouTube A French advertising industry group banned [the 45-second commercial for VanMoof]( a Dutch e-bike company, on the grounds that it unfairly smeared the car industry. According to the Autorité de Régulation Professionnelle de la Publicité, which regulates the ads that make it onto French TV, the commercial's footage of smokestacks, car accidents, and bumper-to-bumper traffic [created a "climate of anxiety" around cars]( and "discredited the automobile sector." VanMoof pushed back, arguing that they only used documentary footage that was in the public domain. "If everyday footage of real world transport is going to create a 'climate of anxiety,' maybe someone should try to do something about that world," VanMoof said in [a statement](. "Y’know… by offering alternative means of transportation." The ad for the bike, which costs $2,000, has now been viewed almost 2 million times on YouTube. (via [Grist]( Weekend Service Changes: Night of July 10th – Early Morning on July 13th This is a partial list of major service disruptions scheduled for the weekend. For a complete list of the MTA's Weekender updates, [check here](. Note: The entire subway system is closed each night from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. until further notice. On Saturday and Sunday, South Ferry-bound trains will skip 238 St, 231 St, 225 St, 215 St and 207 St. train service between 96 St and 148 St will be replaced by trains, and M7 and M102 buses. On Saturday and Sunday, train service between 149 St-Grand Concourse and Dyre Av will be replaced by trains. On Saturday and Sunday, Hudson Yards-bound trains will skip 33, 40, 46, 52, 69, 74, 82, 90, 103 and 111 Sts. trains will not run between Church Av and Coney Island-Stillwell Av. [Check here]( for complete details about the Long Island Rail Road. For NJ Transit, [check here]( for the latest service advisories. [a close-up of James Ramsay sitting on a vespa] James Ramsay would ban a lot of commercials if he could. (Photo by James Ramsay) Support WNYC + Gothamist Make a donation to support local, independent journalism. Your contributions are our largest source of funding and pays for essential transportation coverage and more. [Donate]( Copyright © 2020 New York Public Radio, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: New York Public Radio 160 Varick Street New York, NY 10013 [unsubscribe]( [update preferences]( [privacy policy](