Skip to content

A Round and a Roundy: The Ultimate Flowchart of NYPD Fecklessness

The grim joke about life in New York City is that if you want to get away with murder, make sure you commit the crime with a car. Here's our editorial cartoonist's take.
A Round and a Roundy: The Ultimate Flowchart of NYPD Fecklessness
Cartoon: Bill Roundy
It's our December donation drive. Your gift helps us do these kinds of important stories. So please click here.
It’s our December donation drive. Your gift helps us do these kinds of important stories. So please click here.

The grim joke about life in New York City is that if you want to get away with murder, make sure you commit the crime with a car.

Our editorial cartoonist and national treasure Bill Roundy is certainly no fan of overpolicing — with its attendant racial bias and general human error — but he also feels that our city does not levy suitable punishment to reckless drivers who kill people and then claim, “Oh, it was just an accident.”

Yes, sometimes, there are small fines for “failure to yield” or “failure to exercise due care,” and sometimes the Department of Motor Vehicles will suspend the driver’s license for a few months. But the vast majority of those drivers don’t even get a traffic ticket for the death, which leads to no accountability and certainly no deterrent effect.

Today’s cartoon captures that frustration with classic Roundian wit. Enjoy.

All of Bill Roundy’s cartoons are archived here.

Streetsblog has migrated to a new comment system. New commenters can register directly in the comments section of any article. Returning commenters: your previous comments and display name have been preserved, but you'll need to reclaim your account by clicking "Forgot your password?" on the sign-in form, entering your email, and following the verification link to set a new password — this is required because passwords could not be carried over during the migration. For questions, contact tips@streetsblog.org.

More from Streetsblog New York City

‘Whole Lot of Nothing’: Mamdani’s Vision Zero Plan Dilutes Adams-Era Daylighting

September 16, 2026

NYPD Commissioner Tisch Declined To Punish Cops Who Used Force So Other Cops Could Park Illegally

September 16, 2026

A Chat With John Surico About His New QueensWay Gig

September 16, 2026

Opinion: NYC’s Curbside Bus Stops Treat Passengers Like Dirt

September 16, 2026

Wednesday’s Headlines: The Streetsblog Effect

September 16, 2026
See all posts