Stop NYPD Social Distancing Enforcement, Says Borough Prez

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK — A spate of violent recent arrests — all involving people of color — show NYPD officers should get out of the business of enforcing social distancing, said Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams.

Stop harsh, uneven police enforcement, he said. Start reaching out to people and press the importance of social distancing to stop the new coronavirus' spread, he said.

"This is a moment of 're-culturing,'" he said.

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Adams' call came after recent videos — two from East New York and others in Manhattan — showed violent social distancing-related arrests of people of color. NYPD officers, many of whom are unmasked, threaten bystanders with arrest or violence in all the videos.

Many have contrasted the antagonistic behavior in the videos with images of NYPD officers apparently politely passing out masks to white park goers.

Adams, a former police officer himself, said the city shouldn't become a place where one group gets mask handouts while another gets punished for not wearing them.

"We can't let this become a tale of two parks," Adams said. "A place where we issue summonses in Bushwick, shut down basketball games in Canarsie but where we allow masked groups to lounge out and get some sun on the grass in Manhattan."

Community-led measures, not police enforcement, should spread the word about social distancing, Adams said. He called on clergy councils, Cure Violence groups, parks associations and other groups to speak to residents.

"Everyone is struggling with social distancing," he said. "The key is not treating people like criminals. And we must be consistent — inconsistent policies are a recipe for failure."

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