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Beneath the Surface: Unveiling Racial Disparities in NYC Subway Policing

Beneath the surface of New York City's bustling subway system, carrying a billion passengers yearly, lies a hidden narrative of racial disparity in fare evasion policing. We delve into three distinct locales: Jay Street-Borough Hall Station in Brooklyn, the South Bronx's 40th Precinct, and Queens' Transit District 23. Each spot unveils how minority communities face biased fare enforcement. This exploration not only exposes the underlying issues in subway policing but also connects to larger themes of racial profiling and urban inequality.

ByShaping the Contemporary City @ Pratt Institute logoShaping the Contemporary City @ Pratt Institute
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3 stops•67.8km•4h 42min
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186 Jay Street
186 Jay Street icon

186 Jay Street

The Jay Street-Borough Hall Station in Brooklyn, renowned for its bustling commuter activity, has recently become a focal point of controversy due to alarming statistics in fare evasion arrests. This subway station, situated at a vital intersection in the city's transportation network, now finds itself in the midst of a serious discussion about racial bias in subway policing. Notably, it was recorded that during a specific period, an overwhelming majority of fare evasion arrests at this location involved people of color, with 26 out of 27 arrestees being from this demographic. This disproportionate statistic casts a spotlight on potential discrimination in law enforcement practices at this transit hub. 21K People Daily 7.6 Million Yearly Bibliography/ Resource list Quinn, Anna. “Minority Fare Evaders Are Arrested Most At This Brooklyn Station.” Brooklyn Heights, NY Patch, Patch, 9 Aug. 2019,https://patch.com/new-york/heights-dumbo/minority-fare-evaders-are-arrested-most-brooklyn-station. “NYPD Investigated For Racial Bias In Subway Fare Evasion Policing.” New York City, NY Patch, Patch, 13 Jan. 2020, patch.com/new-york/new-york-city/nypd-investigated-racial-bias-subway-fare-evasion-policing. Shankbone, David. “Jay Street Borough Hall Subway Station.” Wikimedia Commons, 3 Mar. 2007, commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jay\_Street\_Borough\_Hall\_Subway\_Station\_by\_David\_Shankbone.jpg.
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40th Precinct Police Station
40th Precinct Police Station icon

40th Precinct Police Station

The South Bronx, particularly within the area of the 40th Precinct, has been under scrutiny for its high rate of turnstile arrests, despite experiencing significantly less foot traffic than many other areas in the city. This precinct, mainly inhabited by Black and Hispanic residents, presents a concerning correlation between the race of its inhabitants and the frequency of arrests for turnstile jumping. A study by The Marshall Project, analyzing data from the New York Division of Criminal Justice Services from 2014 through June of the current year, reveals that 89 percent of those arrested for turnstile jumping citywide are Black or Hispanic. This proportion has remained consistent since 2014, pointing towards a persistent racial disparity in arrests. In the South Bronx's 40th Precinct, the arrest rate per subway card swipe is one of the highest in the city, despite having less than one-tenth the traffic of the busiest stations. Almost every resident in this precinct is Black or Hispanic, with an average per capita income of $13,000 per year, further highlighting the socio-economic disparities intertwined with this issue. Bibliography “Subway Policing in New York City Still Has A Race Problem.” The Marshall Project, The Marshall Project, www.themarshallproject.org/2019/12/04/subway-policing-in-new-york-city-still-has-a-race-problem. “Mercy & Justice Round-Up: September Edition.” Hope for New York, Hope for New York, www.hfny.org/hfny-stories/mercy-justice-round-up-september-2020. “De Blasio’s NYPD Neighborhood Policing Effort Falls on Crime and Bias: Study.” THE CITY - NYC News, THE CITY, www.thecity.nyc/2020/3/9/21204057/de-blasio-s-nypd-neighborhood-policing-effort-falls-on-crime-and-bias-study. “'Jaywalking While Black': Final 2019 Numbers Show Race-Based NYPD Crackdown Continues.” Streetsblog New York City, Streetsblog New York City, nyc.streetsblog.org/2020/01/14/jaywalking-while-black-final-2019-numbers-show-race-based-nypd-crackdown-continues/.
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BEACH 116 STREET
BEACH 116 STREET icon

BEACH 116 STREET

Transit District 23 (TD23) in Queens, stretching from Rockaway to Jamaica and Ozone Park, has been identified as having the highest enforcement rate relative to ridership among the NYPD’s 12 transit districts. Despite being the district with the lowest overall ridership, TD23 has seen more than twice as many enforcement actions per MetroCard swipe compared to any other district. This notable disparity in enforcement intensity occurs in an area predominantly inhabited by people of color. Six of the top ten stations in terms of fare evasion enforcement relative to ridership are located along A train stops in Rockaway, Queens, which is part of TD23. These areas are not only among the least busy in terms of ridership but also characterized by high poverty rates and a majority Black population. The enforcement pattern in TD23, with more than four times the citywide rate of enforcement actions per MetroCard swipe, highlights a significant issue of racial disparity in fare evasion enforcement. Bibliography “The MTA’s False Fare Evasion Narrative.” Community Service Society of New York, Community Service Society of New York, www.cssny.org/news/entry/false-fare-evasion-narrative. “Findings from New CSS Analysis Show Racial Disparities in Fare Evasion Enforcement Disproportionately Impacting High-Poverty Communities of Color.” Community Service Society of New York, Community Service Society of New York, www.cssny.org/news/entry/fare-evasion-enforcement. “Reports - Subway Fare Evasion.” NYPD, New York City Government, www.nyc.gov/site/nypd/stats/reports-analysis/subway-fare-evasion.page. “Transit District 23.” NYPD, New York City Government, www.nyc.gov/site/nypd/bureaus/transit-housing/transit-district-23.page.
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