The day started with a great bit of investigatory journalism from our friends at The City. Building on the outlet's (and our!) prior reporting on a sharp increase in police chases that began when Mayor Adams took office, reporters Haidee Chu and Yoav Gonen revealed that not only are chases up, but so are crashes resulting from those chases.
That's exactly how cyclist Amanda Servedio was killed back in October, which followed a police chase, as we reported, more evidence that these high-speed police chases through residential neighborhoods are unnecessary and dangerous.
So much for CPR standing for courtesy, professionalism and respect.
Even as we were still heralding The City story, another example of NYPD recklessness popped across our screens: four people were injured when a driver fleeing cops smashed his car in Jackson Heights, CBS2 reported. Two of the four were injured seriously. Both could easily have died.
That chase began in the 114th Precinct in Astoria, which we previously identified as having a "hot pursuit" problem.
So on Monday, we continued our laser focus on that precinct. Rookie-of-the-year reporter Sophia Lebowitz re-crunched the numbers in the same manner as The City ... and discovered that crashes following chases in the 114th are way up in the past two years. Click here for that must-read.
In other news:
- I remember when I first heard the idea about "digital" license plates, thinking, "Yeah, what could possibly go wrong?" Well, I was right. (Wired)
- Council Member Gale Brewer was talking e-bikes and e-bike registration on the Brian Lehrer Show on Monday, and she said a few good things (e-bike speeds should be regulated and that delivery apps need to stop prioritizing speed), but also again supported a terrible state bill to put license plates on electric bikes, which is a slippery slope towards reducing cycling, a proven alternative to deadly cars.
- Everyone got a second day out of the resignation/pending indictment of mayoral adviser and "sister" Ingrid Lewis-Martin. (NYDN, amNY, Gothamist, The City, Hell Gate)
- Former federal transit man, Larry Penner thinks an MTA fare hike in 2025 is OK. (Mass Transit)
- We don't link to a lot of GoFundMe pages, but we were all touched by this fundraising effort on behalf of Wei Lin Huang (whom everyone knows as Pat), a longstanding figure in the Manhattan bike repair scene who is fighting cancer.
- We don't usually cover campaign finance issues, but the decision by the city's Campaign Finance Board to deny Mayor Adams matching funds for his re-election is kinda huge. (NYDN, NY Post, NY Times, Gothamist, Hell Gate, The City)
- (Open) gangway! (Gothamist)
- Carnage on the Hutch. (NY Post)
- As we do every day at the end of the headlines, it's time to honor contributors to our annual December Donation Drive. In case you missed why we ask for a few pesos and shekels at this time of year, click here to get inspired. And if you can help, thanks! Here's today's honor roll: Thanks, Matt! Thanks, Hayden! Thanks, Hunter! Thanks, Streeter! Thanks, Jonathan! Thanks, Patrick! Thanks, Gilbert! Thanks, Michael! Thanks, Janet! Thanks, Ella! Thanks, Richard!
