Jacob Brown
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has taken notice of the NYPD’s regular practice of parking its cars in the middle of sidewalks around precincts, citing violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
In a letter issued to the NYPD last month, the DOJ highlighted the illegality of such parking practices under the ADA. Streetsblog NYC first reported on the letter, indicating federal scrutiny.
Threat of Legal Action:
The letter, dated March 29 and signed by the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District, Damian Williams, warned of potential legal action if compliance with ADA regulations is not achieved. It stated that failure to correct the identified deficiencies voluntarily could result in a lawsuit initiated by the Attorney General.
The NYPD was given a two-week deadline to respond to the DOJ’s concerns. As of Sunday, April 21, an NYPD spokesperson confirmed that the department reviewed the letter but did not provide further details.
Accessibility Concerns:
According to Williams’ office, the NYPD’s frequent obstruction of sidewalks and crosswalks near precincts has rendered the city’s pedestrian grid inaccessible to individuals with disabilities.
A recent study highlighted that police vehicles block public pathways in 91% of all precincts across the five boroughs.
Remedial Measures:
The DOJ outlined several remedies for the NYPD to adopt to comply with the ADA.
These include implementing a new parking policy for city vehicles, modifying training programs for traffic enforcement officers, establishing a public complaint system to report illegal parking, and providing regular updates to the Southern District of New York (SDNY).
