The regular practice of the NYPD parking its cars in the middle of sidewalks around precincts has caught the attention of the federal government.
The U.S. Department of Justice issued a letter to the police department last month warning that illegally parking in that manner is a violation of the American with Disabilities Act. Streetsblog NYC first reported on the letter.
"In the event we determine that we cannot secure compliance voluntarily to correct the deficiencies identified in this letter, the Attorney General may initiate a lawsuit pursuant to the ADA," the letter from the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District Damian Williams read.
That letter, dated March 29, said the NYPD had two weeks to respond to the DOJ to indicate that the police department was interested in resolving the concerns.
"We are reviewing the letter," an NYPD spokesperson told News 4 on Sunday, April 21.
According to Williams' office, the police department's frequent obstruction of sidewalks and crosswalk near precincts, combined with the amount of time spent blocking public access, has made the city's pedestrian grid not "readily accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities.”
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A recent study, the letter points out, found that 91% of all precincts throughout the five boroughs see police vehicles blocking public sidewalks and crosswalks.
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The DOJ outlined a number of remedies it encouraged the NYPD to implement in order to comply with the ADA; those included enacting a new parking policy for city vehicles, modify training programs for traffic enforcement officers, establish a complaint system in which the public can report illegal parking, and provide regular updates to the SDNY.
