NYC Mayor DeBlasio Caves To Sharpton In Shameful Fashion After Threat

[glocktogo]

Some history is in order. In this case, the groundwork for this event came from "the top".

NYPDs aggressive enforcement of low level offenses, like street level dealing, hawkers, graffiti, panhandling, and even secondhand selling of taxable items comes from the zero tolerance model that was implemented during Bratton's first tenure. It's an offshoot of the "broken windows" model, that argues that enforcing minor code and criminal violations, hand in hand with stakeholders and property owners taking ownership of their community, results in an atmosphere that limits the growth of criminality. There's some merit to this, but some of the minor ordinances can be considered "nanny-state" ish.

It's definitely a sad turn of events when someone is killed. No doubt about it. And it is made all the more worse that this was ultimately over a relatively small infraction. My question is, at what point in the deceased's previous arrests and prosecutions did he argue that the law was at issue? When did he lobby his local reps to repeal the law? Did Al Sharpton even hold a march to repeal the tax, arguing that selling looseys was a legitimate source of income for inner city residents?

Therein lies the problem. Enforcing a law or code violation at the lowest level with a mindset that "I'm preventing the next violent offender" and treating the scofflaw as if he or she were a violent criminal caught in the act.

[Chameleox]

Not disagreeing with you there. Zero tolerance is better used as a situational tactic vs a long term operational principle. Just my 2 cents.