Times Square Bomb Attempt Leads To Cyclist Ticket Blitz

(Flickr User Failed Rx)

Midtown has been flooded with cops ever since the failed Times Square bombing, but rapes still rose 146 percent in the area last year, while felony assaults increased 14 percent in the area—from 274 in 2009 to 313 in 2010, according to the most recent crime stats. But don't worry, the NYPD is staying focused on the real threat to security: cyclists. Officers in the Midtown North precinct have issued 567 summonses to cyclists in the first five months of this year, more than any other precinct. Because, as one intrepid TV news reporter once put it, "Imagine if the man on the bike was a terrorist!"

Deputy Inspector Timothy Beaudette, who took over the Midtown North precinct last September, has made bicycle and other traffic crime a top priority. And though the NYPD hasn't foiled any cyclist terrorist plots (that we know of), a source tells the Post cops are ticketing cyclists who "are going the wrong way on the street, and they are on the sidewalk." Unless they're Robin Williams. Did you see Good Will Hunting? How could you ticket someone who's given us such a brave performance?

Lt. Evan Minogue, a community affairs officer at the Midtown North precinct, tells DNAinfo that since the failed bombing, "there has been an extraordinarily large amount of extra police officers working in Midtown, especially the Times Square area. These extra officers who are from precincts all over the city most likely account for the extra enforcement against quality of life offenses because there are simply more boots on the street and more eyes observing these offenses."

We're all for ticketing cyclists who ride on the sidewalk (or explode bombs) but can't all these NYPD boots multitask, and stomp out some more rapes and felonies, too? Well, it's complicated, says Dennis DeQuatro, the Commanding Officer of the Midtown South precinct. He tells DNAinfo that 85 percent of rapes within the Midtown South precinct are "acquaintance rapes," in which the victim and perpetrator knew each other prior to the attack—the implication being that such rapes are more difficult to police as they happen. But maybe cops would have better luck lowering this stat if they just imagine the man on a bike was a rapist.

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

By John Del Signore in News on September 20, 2011 1:50 PM

Comments [rss]

Opus the Poet

OK so they got a metric buttload of cops in the area that are supposed to be protecting the people but instead they spend all their time hanging out and writing tickets to bicyclists, and crime is going through the roof in the same area where the cops are. I'm seeing a big disconnect here as in cops that are just doing enough to get by and not what they are being paid to do...

Peanut_Butter

"Deputy Inspector Timothy Beaudette"

Is this the Motel 6 dude?

Opus the Poet

Nope the Motel 6 guy was Tom Bodette, same pronunciation though. Good catch.

The_Green_Devil

Thank you Gothamist for your daily bike story.

purp

Good, I'm sick of cyclists riding the wrong way or riding on the sidewalk.

No, if only they'd ticket the FLOOD of pedestrians walking/jogging/skating/texting in the bike lane.

Jayne Greppin

i live in the area where the shooting that killed an innocent woman took place over the labor day weekend in crown heights brooklyn. the area seems to be being foot patrolled more since the shooting, however, the only thing i have seen these officers doing other than talking, texting, or chatting is calling out cyclists. i have seen them pull aside cyclists who have locked their bikes at city provided bicycle parking that sits on a sidewalk, for daring to get on their bikes to ride the few steps it takes to get back to the road, of which, every single car that drives past is speeding like it's the indy 500. the cycling enforcement is completely illogical at this point. do cyclists break road laws - yes, but so do all of you when you decide to walk across a street when you don't have the light. i wonder how they (law enforcement) are going to handle themselves once the bike share arrives.

diablofreak

all these bikes must be mysteriously equipped with sandbags for seat cushions because its getting into the vaginas of every nyc biker.

STOP hating on the cops. these are the same cops who would respond and tend to you in a few minutes notice when you decide to run against the traffic and get into an accident with a truck. what's wrong with enforcing the traffic law to minimize the number of accidents? or would you rather they not hand out tickets and give you a swift kick to the nuts when you're trapped under a semi?

do motorists yell at cops when they get caught speeding 20mph over the limit or run a red light? yea maybe, but deep down they know they're wrong and that traffic laws are enforced for their own good and public safety. cyclists need to take on the same mentality and quit whining that cops are enforcing the law.

Peanut_Butter

It's disproportionate. There should be much greater enforcement against aggressive drivers, speeders, and red light runners.

MelvinMesa

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No need to pay those expensive retail prices ever again.. Especially when I
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buy. Here is the website we use to get it all from, B е t a O f f e r . с o m

swampyankeesmom

http://www.amishrakefight.org/...

randomtransplant

Usually the wall of human jaywalkers makes cycling around times square take no longer than cycling through it. In my experience.

Jason White

I have biked through times sq a bunch since this summer and have never had a problem.

anon

How many automobile tickets were handed out by the same precinct in this time period. It would interesting to see.

bggb

As an avid bicyclist I am all for ticketing people for going the wrong way and for riding on sidewalks.

As an avid bicyclist who's been threatened and forced off the road by dangerous drivers in the Hells Kitchen/Times Sq neighborhoods, I am also all for the police ticketing reckless and dangerous behavior from automobiles too.

JarekAF

As an avid bicyclist I am all for ticketing people for going the wrong way and for riding on sidewalks.
I agree with you, however, I'd like that to be tempered by reasonable discretion.

For example, because of the UN shit show, when riding up the 1st ave bike lane, at 42nd street (well, more around 41st to be precise), they had closed the road to all traffic, so I was literally forced to go on the sidewalk from 41st and 1st until 42nd and 2nd ave. At first I was running with my bike but then felt like a total douche bag (and I was late for a doctor's appointment) so I then proceeded to bike slowly until I could get back on the road at 42nd and 2nd ave. At that time, I passed about 20-30 police officers (who were there for the UN security) and thankfully no one gave me a ticket. But, in situations like that, so long as I'm riding safely and respectfully, they shouldn't give me a ticket. If the sidewalk was crowded I would've walked it, but, it wasn't crowded at all.

Nearly all instances of salmon and sidewalk riding should be ticketed but I just wish they'd use discretion in enforcing these laws. Oh, and the cars that lean over the 1st ave bike lane waiting to turn left, they're supposed to yield. They never do and at least 2-3 times a day I'm nearly hit. And when you call out the guy who nearly hits you, they always blame you, and make a face like: "what the fuck are you doing there," even though, it literally is the bike lane and their literally are signs, on every left turn, which is every two blocks, reminding cars to yield.

c257119

Safe and respectful riding should never be ticketed no matter where or how the cyclist is riding. No one is endangered, everyone gets to their destination.

jimjones_koolaid

Ditto

David Huntsman

Is there a car (or something) parked in the bike lane in the background?

purp

of course there's a car parked in it...it's a bike lane!

jb_xo

No, but when I'm followed home and attacked I would have rather the NYPD put more money and resources into preventing and solving violent crime. If you would rather then continue to pour their energies into cyclist ticketing, then you're gonna be as happy as a pig-in-shit. But, I personally, would rather stop hearing about women having their heads beat in and young men violently robbed. Just me, I guess.