Transportation Alternatives Welcomes New NYPD Commissioner

Statement of Transportation Alternatives Executive Director Danny Harris on the announcement that NYPD Chief of Detectives Dermot Shea will be the next New York City Police Commissioner:

“On Behalf of Transportation Alternatives and Families for Safe Streets, we congratulate Chief of Detectives Dermot Shea on his promotion to NYPD Commissioner. The NYPD plays an important role in enforcement against reckless driving, data collection and advancing Vision Zero.

As New York City sees a spike in fatalities this year due to traffic violence, we look forward to working with Commissioner Shea on how the NYPD can be a more effective advocate for the millions of New Yorkers of all races, backgrounds, immigration status and income levels who walk, bike and take public transit across the five boroughs.

We invite Commissioner Shea to join us on a bike ride to experience the city as millions of cyclists do every year, and to meet with the members of Families for Safe Streets to understand the tragedies on our streets, including the role of victim blaming when some officers speak prematurely to reporters after fatal crashes.

At Transportation Alternatives, we believe that the NYPD can enforce traffic safety laws effectively, fairly and equitably — ensuring that reckless driving is deterred fairly for all road users, while avoiding enforcement with disparate impacts. Transportation Alternatives looks forward to working with Chief Shea to create a better, fairer and safer New York.”