Of 40 Arrests For Social Distancing In Brooklyn, Only 1 Was White

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK — Brooklyn is becoming the face of an apparent disparity in how NYPD officers enforce social distancing amid the new coronavirus pandemic.

It can be seen in widely-seen videos showing unmasked cops — who are now under investigation— violently arresting people of color over social distancing and threatening onlookers for not wearing masks.

And, now, it's clear from arrest statistics first published by the New York Times that white residents — despite regular congregations in places like Prospect Park — simply haven't faced the same level of harsh enforcement. Just one white person has been arrested for social distancing in the whole of Brooklyn, compared to 35 who are black and four who are Hispanic, the Times reported.

NYPD on Friday also released social distancing summons data that showed 80 percent of those tickets citywide went to people of color. That was the case in Brooklyn, which accounted for 206 out of 374 social distancing summons issued in the city, NYPD data shows. Just 42 of those summonses in Brooklyn went to white people.

Mayor Bill de Blasio has denied social distancing enforcement is a return to the racially-fraught days of "stop-and-frisk." He responded to the Times report on Twitter by saying the disparity does not reflect "our values."

"We HAVE TO do better and we WILL," he wrote.

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But many Brooklynites have said that's not enough. A caravan wound through Brooklyn streets on Thursday to protest the recent arrests and heavy-handed enforcement, NY1 first reported.

Several prominent Brooklyn politicians have added to their own concerns over whether police should be enforcing social distancing violations.

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, whose office released the arrest numbers, promised to review excessive force accusations against NYPD officers in the recent arrests. His office will decide whether disciplinary recommendations or criminal charges are warranted, he wrote on Twitter.

"Any arrest under these circumstances should always be the last resort," he wrote. "Simply stated, we cannot police ourselves out of this pandemic."

Eric Adams, the borough's president, previously called for a halt of NYPD social distancing enforcement in favor of outreach to "re-culture" people toward the need to socially distance to stop the coronavirus' spread. He planned a virtual dinner conversation Friday over the issue.

It's not just activists and Brooklyn pols who want police out of social distancing enforcement. The Police Benevolent Association union has repeatedly made similar calls, though their statements reflect less on cops' actions and more on de Blasio's policies.

"Your strategy is clear: stick to your bad policy and let the cops on the street take the blame for implementing it," the PBA tweeted in response to de Blasio.

De Blasio on Friday didn't back down on whether police will continue enforcing social distancing. They will, he said.

We should be "resolute" in the fight against the coronavirus and stop large gatherings, he said.

"You will see our officers out there doing enforcement because that's how you save lives," he said.

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