Dude, Where's My Bike?

The NYPD was a little bike happy last Wednesday, May 30th. According to witnesses, they showed up without warning and used circular saws to cut the locks off of about 50 bicycles on 6th street between 1st and 2nd Avenue. The NYPD allowed people to take the loose bikes without showing any proof of ownership. They seized 15 bikes (including bikes locked to D.O.T. bike racks) and arrested two bystanders.

According to Time’s Up!, Robert Carnevale was arrested while videotaping the bike raid after he asked one of the officers for his badge number. Carole Vale, a nurse observing the scene, was also arrested when she asked why Mr. Carnevale was being detained. Mr. Carnevale was held for 22 hours and Ms. Vale was held for 13 hours. Time's Up!, along with the 6th Street cycling community are asking for a meeting with the commanding officer of the Ninth Precinct to explain the actions of the NYPD and to ask for their bikes back.

Reader Paul told us that his neighbor's bike was taken, in spite of her pleas that "she had an order from a judge labeling this practice as illegal" from a prior incident. Paul also gave us the verbiage of the 9th Precinct's bike program: "The 9th Precinct program recognizes the chronic bike rack shortage, allowing people to park their bikes at City-owned street fixtures and seeking only to remove bikes that are clearly abandoned, blocking the sidewalk or locked to a tree." (More about the 9th Precinct's bike program here.)

Executive Director of Time’s Up!, Bill DiPaola says, “Bikes should not be seized unless they are impeding the flow of traffic. This is a normal maintenance procedure that got way out of control.” He adds, “As seen last week, the police are not experienced with these types of procedures. This is a job for sanitation or for the local community, not the NYPD.”

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Kelly Loudenberg in News on June 4, 2007 3:01 PM

Comments [rss]

guest

You may report complaints against the police by calling 311. It is a fairly lengthy phone recording, so be patient.

guest

What is that lieutenant's name? That video shows him displaying absolutely no "courtesy, professionalism, or respect." I'm ashamed that our tax dollars are being wasted on a scumball like that lieutenant.

ed_Extinct

thank god the wars on terrorism, drugs and crime have been conquered...

eddie1996

there is a video of the incident here

http://blip.tv/file/252942/

guest

re. comment #28:

i am glad to see some real honesty for a change on who was involved and who did what for the video. it is good to make it clear that bit was a joint project instead of obscuring some of the parties involved (especially if the other party may do the lion's share of work as is often the case - i.e. glass bead).

guest

The cop situation is only going to get worse.

What kind of work do you suppose the hardened psychopaths returning from Iraq will be seeking?

You know. The ones who are presently treating the Iraqi civilian population with such professional respect and courtesy. Me thinks we should get used to it.

guest

This is a plot by big oil and city government to limit bicycles since they pay no taxes yet.

guest

My neighbors bike was stolen two days ago. I wonder if it was the cops.

dogsdayout

the NYPD has a slogan CPR ? I think 99% of them are total losers ... When I lived in Brooklyn a women was attacked at the entrance of my building the police was opposite the street at the Brooklyn Museum they did not see it happen but when I r

ran across the street bare footed to let them know " We are here for a reason and can't leave our post" was the answer I got and no they DID NOT call for help either. The officers were one black and one white so I know it was not a racial think... what it basically was... total disrecgard for another human being. So NYPD you need to change your slogan to something besides CPR.

There have been other times where I have seen the NYPD

zubaz91

in february i was waiting in line for a release at the supreme store for over 5 hours when cops came and told everyone to leave for no reason. the line dispersed and 15 minutes later everyone lined back up again and the cops allowed it... what is the point of that? I took pictures of them, they got angry and one of them took out a camera and starting taking pictures of me and said "how do you like it?" i laughed and told him it didnt bother me at all but seriously there wasn't an ounce of professionalism shown. maybe i should be glad i wasn't arrested.

myjamfactory

they are all cyclepaths

guest

Gee, did they gather up a bunch of those really cool gearless bikes without brakes that the New York Times says is defining a new hipster lifestyle the way that skateboards defined a new alternative way of living way, way back in the 1990s?

guest

I watched the video. Courtesy? Professionalism? Respect? Don't think so.

New Yorks Finest? No way.

guest

Thanks for the eyeopening video.

as you can tell the cop never identified himself and I bet you he lives out in the suburbs or staten Island if he could afford it. since he's an LT. he's been on the job for a while, so maybe SI, far away from latte sipping libs of Manhattan.

what a tough guy he is.

most cops don't live in the five boroughs but politicians pander to them to the hilt. Why do they have so much power when they don't vote in city elections.

galvo

oh , by the way the plainclothes cop is a lieutenant

galvo

OK, first the steroid fortified plainclothes cop in the green shirt never wore any id or displayed any ID. The video is very clear in this. The first person arrested was for asking this plainclothes cop for the spelling of his name. since there was no badge displayed , there was no badge number to even make note of.

Most of the bikes seized were working bike and not abandoned. Yes there were a couple abandoned bikes , but the great majority were working, locked up bikes.

the issue about the police initially letting people walk off with bikes without id or ownership, is they are suppose to safeguard the property when they cut the locks, residents from the street said that people that didn't live on the street just came up and grabbed a bike and walked away. The police added in bike theft.

if you watch the blip tv video

http://blip.tv/file/252942/

the audio is very clear, the large juiced up cop bullied everyone and without cause demanded ID.

he then arrested two people for questioning his violation of civil rights.

guest

Jesus. What was that meathead's name after all? And little midget cop with him? The guy looks like he's about 50 so how does he not understand basic police proceedure. Miserable to be that old and still on stupid details like bike patrol with his 19 year old partner I guess. What a disgrace to the profession.

guest

Proving yet again the need for new leadership and accountability in the NYPD. Obviously if they're taking time to pull pranks like this, they don't need additional funding.

guest

let's just forget about the rapists, robbers and other crimes.

guest

Hey,

Time's Up! and Glass Bead Collective have prepared a great video using the photographs and video shot by Robert Carnevale and Caroline Dorn. Available in MPEG-4 and Flash at:

http://blip.tv/file/252942/

Video edited by Vlad T.