New York City has legalized jaywalking after citizens claimed the measures against the practice were racist.
According to the Legal Aid Society, one of the groups pushing jaywalking’s legalization, said the New York City Police Department (NYPD) has, “for decades, employed [jaywalking] as a pretext to stop, question, and frisk New Yorkers, especially those from communities of color.”
“With this legislation now codified, we hope that both the Adams Administration and the City Council will continue to abolish relic laws that serve no public safety purpose and only ensnare people in the criminal legal system,” the statement continued.
Brooklyn Councilwoman Mercedes Narcisse said, “Let’s be real, every New Yorker jaywalks. People are simply trying to get where they need to go. Laws that penalize common behaviors for everyday movement shouldn’t exist, especially when they unfairly impact communities of color.”
Mayor Eric Adams neither signed nor vetoed the bill, which allowed it to become law after 30 days.
When the bill was first introduced in July, Republican Councilwoman Joann Ariola told The New York Post, “How can anyone imagine this is a good idea considering the [amount] of pedestrian deaths we continue to have each year? It would only put more pedestrians in danger.”