For the past two weeks, the NYPD has drastically scaled back law enforcement. Criminal summonses and traffic tickets are down more than 90 percent from this time last year. In many precincts, the weekly tally of criminal infractions was near zero. Union leaders deny an organized movement. But the drop is viewed by many as a protest against Mayor Bill de Blasio and his perceived lack of support for police.
This apparent effort is costing the city a lot of money. Court, criminal and administrative fines contribute some $800 million to the citys annual budget, according the New York Office of Management and Budgets projections. To put that in perspective, the cigarette tax will bring in about $52 million a year; hotel taxes generate roughly $547 million; and commercial rent tax will supply $720 million.
Last year, during New Years week, the NYPD handed out more than 16,000 parking tickets. This year, it distributed fewer than 2,000, a 93 percent drop-off.
Still, its a good reminder that too often, cities rely on parking and traffic tickets for their revenue. According to The Washington Post, some communities in Missouri draw as much as 30 percent of their revenue from these sources. These fines fall disproportionately on poor, non-white people.
