‘WE’LL DO BETTER’

Brooklyn Cops Arrested 40 People for Breaking Social-Distance Rules—35 Were Black

Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office is first prosecutor in New York City to release such stats—and they don’t make good reading.

Cops in Brooklyn have reportedly arrested 40 people for breaking social distancing rules during lockdown—35 were black, four were hispanic, and just one was white. The Brooklyn district attorney’s office is first prosecutor in New York City to release stats on social distancing enforcement. The numbers, reported by the New York Times, are from March 17 through May 4. They show that over a third of the arrests were made in the mainly black neighborhood of Brownsville. By way of comparison, no arrests were made in the more white neighborhood of Park Slope. Mayor Bill de Blasio tweeted in response to the story saying the NYPD is using lockdown powers to save lives, but added: “The disparity in the numbers does NOT reflect our values. We HAVE TO do better and we WILL.”