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[Christopher]

http://nypost.com/2016/05/26/new-york-city-is-about-to-become-a-lot-more-disgusting/

Scofflaws of New York, rejoice — the City Council has cleared the way for you to litter, loiter and pee in the street to your heart’s content.
New legislation dubbed the “Criminal Justice Reform Act” was passed by lawmakers Wednesday, giving miscreants a get-out-of-jail-free card by eliminating the criminal penalties on a raft of quality-of-life crimes.

The disgusting and disturbing acts that the council voted to decriminalize include drinking alcohol out of a paper bag, lurking in parks after hours, urinating in the street and making enough of a racket to violate the noise code.

Under the legislation, which Mayor Bill de Blasio is expected to sign, offenders will face only civil summonses instead of criminal citations.

The main part of the “reform” act sponsored by Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito deals with reducing the penalty for public urination and other quality-of-life offenses. It passed by a 40-9 vote in the liberal-leaning council.

It aims to keep offenders from getting a permanent criminal record and requires the NYPD to “develop guidance” for cops on when to issue criminal instead of civil summonses.


A homeless man urinates on East 68th Street in New York City.Photo: David McGlynn
The council also passed other bills as part of the act that will re-codify offenses committed in parks to civil violations from misdemeanors, set littering and public-urination fines between $75 and $450 and allow administrative courts to mete out community service instead of fines. The new laws could be in effect within a year.

Opponents of the legislation warned that the changes could lead to a quality-of-life backslide.

“We don’t want people to think it’s OK to urinate in public,” said Councilman Steve Matteo (R-Staten Island). “We want there to be real consequences because there’s a big difference between a criminal fine and a civil fine.”

Councilman Ritchie Torres (D-Bronx), who voted in favor of the bills, urged “hysterical” critics to reconsider how criminal rec­ords picked up over minor offenses could hobble young minorities’ “access to financial aid and higher education.”

“These essential elements of a decent life . . . can be easily blighted by the lingering stigma of a criminal record,” he said.

Before the vote, Mark-Viverito (D-Manhattan) told reporters she didn’t need to horse-trade with the administration or the NYPD to move the bills, but neglected to mention that the council successfully pushed to hire more than 1,200 new cops during the last budget process.

Police Commissioner Bill Bratton said he “got what I wanted for my officers” in the legislation.

“They retained the right in every instance to make an arrest if appropriate,” he said.

Pee on the street till your hearts content! What say you guys

MOD EDIT: Source that's not the NY Post. http://www.nydailynews.com/news/pol...ften-penalties-minor-crimes-article-1.2647309

The Council has finalized eight bills that would substitute civil penalties for criminal enforcement for public drinking and urination, littering, breaking parks rules, and unreasonable noise in most cases. They are expected to pass at the body’s next meeting this week.

The bills, collectively dubbed the Criminal Justice Reform Act, would also cut jail time allowed for the offenses to one day. While jail is rarely imposed for the small-time crimes, the law currently allows for sentences of five to 90 days.

The de Blasio administration is supporting the changes after extensive negotiations. Cops will still have the power to make arrests for petty crimes — an option the NYPD insisted on keeping available — but will be encouraged to use civil penalties except in certain cases, like when someone has violated the law repeatedly and failed to pay their fines.

Police Commissioner Bill Bratton sent out a message to rank and file officers stressing they'd still have the power to use criminal enforcement.

"We have ensured that there will be no decriminalization of minor offenses. As police, you will retain all your law-enforcement powers to address disorder and quality-of-life offenses, but you will have more discretion for doing so," he wrote, saying new summons forms including civil penalties would be issued soon. "Your ability to use criminal enforcement, when necessary, has not been diminished."

The bills are expected to remove 100,000 cases from the criminal court system every year, according to the Council. They will spare 10,000 people from a criminal record, and prevent 50,000 warrants from being issued each year.

Under the current system, criminal courts end up dismissing most summonses — with a conviction rate of just 21%. Among people who are convicted, 99% are hit with a fine — and up to half of summonses end up with a warrant issued because the suspect fails to show up in court.

"No one should be put through the criminal justice system for committing a nonviolent, low-level, quality-of-life offense," said Councilman Rory Lancman (D-Queens), who has pushed the changes.

 

[kunonabi]

I didn't like New York when I went and I'm certainly not going back now.

 

[elrechazado]

Back to the late 70s ny we hopefully don't go. Littering and vandalism and public defecation and urination aggregate into general disregard for society and the law and safety. Balancing that with disparate impact on the mentally ill and using such laws as a wedge against minorities is a bad thing. These repeals will definitely have some bad effects though on the city. Tough balancing act.

 

[Tom Nook Sawyer]

Pee on the street till your hearts content! What say you guys

Because laws stopped this before?

 

[Volimar]

"We need your money you disgusting slobs."

 

[NeOak]

Because laws stopped this before?

At least they tried to be discrete.

Now? Be ready to see more penises in the streets!

 

[Spoiled Milk]

Back to the late 70s ny we hopefully don't go. Littering and vandalism and public defecation and urination aggregate into general disregard for society and the law and safety. Balancing that with disparate impact on the mentally ill and using such laws as a wedge against minorities is a bad thing. These repeals will definitely have some bad effects though on the city. Tough balancing act.

I like Rockefeller.

 

[Christopher]

Because laws stopped this before?

Yes they did

 

[Frozenprince]

I mean most of these were put into law to arrest the homeless so.

 

[Tom Nook Sawyer]

Yes they did

That certainly didn't seem to be the case when I visited a few years ago. Nor does it seem to be the case for most US cities I've visited

 

[NoblesseOblige]

“We don’t want people to think it’s OK to urinate in public,” said Councilman Steve Matteo (R-Staten Island). “We want there to be real consequences because there’s a big difference between a criminal fine and a civil fine.”

I'm sure decriminalizing it is going to suddenly make people think peeing on the street is okay.

 

[ItIsOkBro]

Nobody ever got hurt by someone peeing in public

 

[Hoo-doo]

Nobody ever got hurt by someone peeing in public

Nobody gets hurt by people shitting on your front steps either.

 

[antonz]

There is absolutely no reason to allow people free access to peeing in the streets etc. if you want to legislate something then block stores etc. from forbidding restroom access unless a customer.

Its a public health issue not a quality of life issue. absurd bullshit

 

[meltingparappa]

Nobody ever got hurt by someone peeing in public

Except when someone pees on the doorway your storefront.

Which, for better or worse of this new law, is a regular occurrence where I work in Chelsea.

 

[NoblesseOblige]

Nobody gets hurt by people shitting on your front steps either.

People actually have gotten injured from sliding on dog poops. I imagine human poops isn't much different.

 

[Gentleman Jack]

There is absolutely no reason to allow people free access to peeing in the streets etc. if you want to legislate something then block stores etc. from forbidding restroom access unless a customer.

Its a public health issue not a quality of life issue. absurd bullshit

Which is why they will all remain against the law, except they will be enforced with fines instead of incarceration.

But you'd only think people were getting carte blanche to defecate in public if you read the NY Post's headline.

 

[ItIsOkBro]

Nobody gets hurt by people shitting on your front steps either.

Your front steps aren't public tho

 

[NoblesseOblige]

There is absolutely no reason to allow people free access to peeing in the streets etc. if you want to legislate something then block stores etc. from forbidding restroom access unless a customer.

Its a public health issue not a quality of life issue. absurd bullshit

Are you (and probably others) missing the part of the article that says civil fines will remain?

 

[Philly40]

Nobody gets hurt by people shitting on your front steps either.

Depends,

if you do that thing where you put it in a paper bag, set it on fire, ring the doorbell then run away - well that's a housefire waiting to happen.

 

[j0hnnix]

Are you (and probably others) missing the part of the article that says civil fines will remain?

So if caught you can be fined but not arrested is this correct? It's still a messy situation.

 

[Palette Swap]

http://nypost.com/2016/05/26/new-york-city-is-about-to-become-a-lot-more-disgusting/



Pee on the street till your hearts content! What say you guys

Did you even read that disgusting article you posted? Do you realize peeing on the street will still land you a fine?

The point here is that the legislative arms race to criminalize every little thing is counterproductive, on top of favoring the idea that everyone is a criminal.

That's the mindset that gives cops the notion that their use of force is somehow congruent to the offense committed. That's the mindset that got Eric Garner killed.

Honestly, fuck that rag of a paper and shame on you for posting it.

 

[Rabbi_Vole]

Rudy Guiliani is rolling in his political grave

 

[meltingparappa]

Which is why they will all remain against the law, except they will be enforced with fines instead of incarceration.

Those fines will do nothing as a deterrence for the homeless, which are the majority of the cases.

But it's likely better than incarceration, part of a bigger problem in regards to mental health initiatives, and New York has about a decade before whatever worse case scenario could put it on par with San Francisco.

 

[NoblesseOblige]

So if caught you can be fined but not arrested is this correct? It's still a messy situation.

It will also not appear on a criminal record, meaning you won't be locked out of a ton of jobs for a significant part of your life just because you got drunk and pissed in the park one night.

 

[Gentleman Jack]

So if caught you can be fined but not arrested is this correct? It's still a messy situation.

There are no clean solutions to the intersection of mental health, drug addiction and homelessness. But Incarceration is by far the worst.

 

[Tom Nook Sawyer]

Did you even read that disgusting article you posted? Do you realize peeing on the street will still land you a fine?

The point here is that the legislative arms race to criminalize every little thing is counterproductive, on top of favoring the idea that everyone is a criminal.

That's the mindset that gives puts cops into the mindset that their use of force is somehow congruent to the offense committed. That's the mindset that got Eric Garner killed.

Honestly, fuck that rag of a paper and shame on you for posting it.

Nailed it

 

[diehard]

but owning a dirt bike is still illegal

 

[Cartman86]

NY Post...NY Post...NY Post.

 

[j0hnnix]

There are no clean solutions to the intersection of mental health, drug addiction and homelessness. But Incarceration is by far the worst.

That article was shocking and eye opening.

 

[NoblesseOblige]

Also we're focusing on the pee part because we're apparently all urophiliacs. But...

Beginning on Monday, March 7, 2016, unless necessary for public safety reasons, the NYPD will no longer arrest individuals who commit these low-level offenses in Manhattan, and the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office will no longer prosecute most infractions or violations, including:

Public Consumption of Alcohol
Public Urination
Various subway offenses, such as Riding Between Cars, Taking Up More Than One Seat, Feet on the Seat .

What are people's thoughts on the others? We're also missing the caveat of 'unless necessary for public safety reasons'.

 

[gdt]

Did you really just post the NY Post.

 

[Jawbreaker]

Except when someone pees on the doorway your storefront.

Which, for better or worse of this new law, is a regular occurrence where I work in Chelsea.

I live in Chelsea. Where do you work so I can avoid your store?

 

[NoblesseOblige]

Did you even read that disgusting article you posted?

Given OP's history, he probably didn't read it. And if he did, he didn't do any due diligence in investigating beyond the article.

 

[Familienoberhauptvogel]

Are people in this thread serious? What's bad about this, a criminal record for urinating in public is ridiculous.

He who never peed into a bush, dark corner, etc. after a night out cast the first stone.

 

[meltingparappa]

I live in Chelsea. Where do you work so I can avoid your store?

27th st.

Clearly the solution is for every business in Manhattan is to put up a sign with 100% efficacy.

 

[Jawbreaker]

27th st.

Clearly the solution is for every business in Manhattan is to put up a sign with 100% efficacy.

Hah! That's fantastic.

 

[DragonSworne]

It's still against the law...

 

[Mr. X]

Misleading, they're reduce to civil fines not punishment free.

 

[MHWilliams]

Let's see what happens when you actually look at reality rather than yelling about the sky falling.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/pol...ften-penalties-minor-crimes-article-1.2647309

The Council has finalized eight bills that would substitute civil penalties for criminal enforcement for public drinking and urination, littering, breaking parks rules, and unreasonable noise in most cases. They are expected to pass at the body’s next meeting this week.

The bills, collectively dubbed the Criminal Justice Reform Act, would also cut jail time allowed for the offenses to one day. While jail is rarely imposed for the small-time crimes, the law currently allows for sentences of five to 90 days.

The de Blasio administration is supporting the changes after extensive negotiations. Cops will still have the power to make arrests for petty crimes — an option the NYPD insisted on keeping available — but will be encouraged to use civil penalties except in certain cases, like when someone has violated the law repeatedly and failed to pay their fines.

Police Commissioner Bill Bratton sent out a message to rank and file officers stressing they'd still have the power to use criminal enforcement.

"We have ensured that there will be no decriminalization of minor offenses. As police, you will retain all your law-enforcement powers to address disorder and quality-of-life offenses, but you will have more discretion for doing so," he wrote, saying new summons forms including civil penalties would be issued soon. "Your ability to use criminal enforcement, when necessary, has not been diminished."

The bills are expected to remove 100,000 cases from the criminal court system every year, according to the Council. They will spare 10,000 people from a criminal record, and prevent 50,000 warrants from being issued each year.

Under the current system, criminal courts end up dismissing most summonses — with a conviction rate of just 21%. Among people who are convicted, 99% are hit with a fine — and up to half of summonses end up with a warrant issued because the suspect fails to show up in court.

"No one should be put through the criminal justice system for committing a nonviolent, low-level, quality-of-life offense," said Councilman Rory Lancman (D-Queens), who has pushed the changes.

Basically, it's been clogging up the courts for stuff that at most warrants a night in the drunk trank. Police can still arrest people. The only real change is you not spending a week in jail and having a criminal record for this low-level stuff.

 

[bob_arctor]

Can we just piss on the NY Post instead??

 

[vikki]

Saw a man peeing just outside a Deli the other day, he wasn't homeless.

 

[Enzom21]

Did you even read that disgusting article you posted? Do you realize peeing on the street will still land you a fine?

The point here is that the legislative arms race to criminalize every little thing is counterproductive, on top of favoring the idea that everyone is a criminal.

That's the mindset that gives cops the notion that their use of force is somehow congruent to the offense committed. That's the mindset that got Eric Garner killed.

Honestly, fuck that rag of a paper and shame on you for posting it.

Why are you surprised that a NY cop would post something shitty like this? Worst law enforcement agency in this country.

 

[Skelter]

I didn't like New York when I went and I'm certainly not going back now.

Terrible.

 

[Dennis]

The disgusting and disturbing acts that the council voted to decriminalize include drinking alcohol out of a paper bag, lurking in parks after hours, urinating in the street and making enough of a racket to violate the noise code.

Some of it makes sense to remove like drinking alcohol and being in parks.

Not sure I agree with noise and piss though.

 

[echoshifting]

the City Council has cleared the way for you to litter, loiter and pee in the street to your heart’s content.

Really NY post? Did you even read the article you published? Because your opening line is factually wrong according to your own article. smh

 

[Yaboosh]

Some of it makes sense to remove like drinking alcohol and being in parks.

Not sure I agree with noise and piss though.

You think being loud should be a criminal offense?

 

[StarSketch]

Various subway offenses, such as Riding Between Cars, Taking Up More Than One Seat, Feet on the Seat .

Wait, these things were illegal? ._. I know the former is really dangerous, but wtf?

 

[ItWasMeantToBe19]

I can't believe New York wants to arrest fewer poor people, the nerve.

 

[NoblesseOblige]

I can't believe New York wants to arrest fewer poor people, the nerve.

Poor cops are going to have to come up with new reasons to abuse the most downtrodden of our populace.