City Officials Shrug at NYPD Cop’s Reckless Driving As Advocates Push ‘Stop Super Speeders’ Bill
Slow the man down!
Advocates stepped up their demand for state-level action to rein in the worst recidivist speeders while the city’s political elite completely ignored the stupefying news that an NYPD officer on Staten Island has accumulated 547 speeding and red-light tickets — the very kind of repeat recklessness that the “Stop Super Speeders” bill aims to thwart.
The bill would allow the city to require the installation of a speed-limiting device in the vehicles of drivers who rack up more than 16 traffic-camera speeding tickets in a single year — 174 fewer than the 180 speed camera tickets slapped last year on the 4,800-pound truck of James Giovansanti, the 120th Precinct cop fingered in Streetsblog’s bombshell report on Thursday.
“As a parent who lost her son to a speeding driver, I am horrified to learn that one of New York City’s worst super speeders is also a public servant trusted with our safety,” said Lizi Rahman, a member of Families for Safe Streets whose 22-year-old son was killed in a fatal crash in Queens in 2008. “Speeding through our school zones — especially 180 times in a single year — puts all of us at risk.”
Both of the bill’s main legislative sponsors weighed in on Giovansanti’s speeding record — the only elected officials to do so.
“Cops are supposed to protect and serve, not speed and swerve,” said Sen. Andrew Gournades (D-Brooklyn). “Their job is to keep us safe, so it’s disappointing to see this officer putting his neighbors in harm’s way. My Stop Super Speeders Act … is our best shot at slowing down serial speeders and making our streets safer for all of us.”
Assembly Member Emily Gallagher (D-Brooklyn) said Giovansanti’s speeding was hardly surprising for anyone tracking the scourge of “super speeders” like him on city streets.
“The alleged behavior Streetsblog uncovered is appalling and dangerous, but it shouldn’t be surprising for anyone who has been paying attention to the patterns of super speeders,” said Gallagher. “These dangerous drivers are habitual actors, who are unwilling to curb their behavior because of tickets or even license suspensions.
“James Giovansanti has paid more than $36,000 in speeding tickets since 2022 — these tickets have not slowed him down,” Gallagher added. “I would ask my fellow legislators — would you want to live in the same community with this man?”
We asked a similar question to every elected official on Staten Island after our report: Doesn’t the record on Giovansanti’s truck, which comprises 547 school-zone speeding and red-light tickets, make them concerned about the safety of their own constituents in the path of this driver?
None of them — three Democrats and nine Republicans — responded at all.
The most surprising silence came from those most responsible for reining in Giovansanti and other reckless drivers: Mayor Mamdani and NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch. Mamdani did not respond to several requests for comment over email and text message.
Hizzoner’s non-response is especially unusual because he has repeatedly emphasized the importance of police reform and street safety during his new mayoralty. It’s unclear why he won’t comment on an NYPD cop who has repeatedly endangered New Yorkers.
NYPD also did not respond to questions about Giovansanti — even as Tisch took to social media to tout the arrest of one of the participants in a dangerous “street takeover” that occurred last weekend in Queens.
“Too often there are no consequences in the criminal justice system for this type of outrageous behavior,” Tisch posted on X, where commenters flooded her replies to Streetsblog’s story about Giovansanti.
Meanwhile, New Yorkers across the political spectrum reacted with profound alarm to the news of Giovansanti’s record:
The Stop Super Speeders bill (S4045/A2299) failed to pass last year, but got a huge boost when Gov. Hochul included it in her budget proposal. But Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (D-Bronx) opposes the legislation’s inclusion in the annual budget. Hell Gate reported earlier in the week that Heastie’s opposition is more than just budgetary, but because he is “suspicious” of traffic cameras.
Like the entire political establishment of Staten Island, Heastie did not respond to requests for comment, angering Rahman, the Families for Safe Streets member.
“Including the Stop Super Speeders bill in the final state budget will slow down not just [Giovansanti], but every vehicle that is putting New Yorkers at risk,” she said. “I’m furious that Speaker Heastie is standing in the way of legislation that can stop it.”
Here is a list of all the officials on Staten Island and how they responded to Streetsblog’s request for comment on the local cop who is a public danger:
Council Member Kamilla Hanks (D): No response
Council Member Frank Morano (R): No response
Council Member David Carr (R): No response
Assembly Member Michael Tannousis (R): No response
Assembly Member Michael Reilly (R): No response
Assembly Member Sam Pirozzolo (R): No response
Assembly Member Charles Fall (D): No response
State Sen. Andrew Lanza (R): No response
State Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton (R): No response
District Attorney Michael McMahon (D): No response
Borough President Vito Fossella (R): No response
Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R): No response
Streetsblog will update this list if and when we hear back. Until then, enjoy this short video of our attempts to reach James Giovansanti:
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