Informed resources have just released internal studies about hit and run incidents in New York City. Hit and runs are on a sharp rise up some 45% from one year ago. Studies have called on the NYPD and Police Commissioner Ray Kelly to take a harder line against these senseless crimes.
The NYPD is flummoxed by this sharp rise as more officers are working the beat in these affected areas. Critics are not shy in their arguements that the NYPD are a bloated, ineffective organization. New York City drivers have noticed these increased nicks and dings as well.
AAA says that insurance companies in the northeast have had an increased number of claims for non-moving/not-at-fault incidents like these hit and runs.
Body shop owners in New York City surveyed by in these studies said they hadn’t noticed all that much more of an increase for insured work orders. Analysts contend the reason for this may be that the work being done is spread out among auto body shops across the tri-state and beyond.
Drivers who so blatantly break the law and leave a hit and run without attempting to leave a note are running a big risk. 9th term New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has said that anyone who hits any cars north of 61st Street on the East side of Central Park all the way up to 110th Street as well as any incidents south of Houston Street will be looking at potential jail time for repeat offenders.
Purported “Get out of jail Free” cards have been circulating around the black market in anticipation of being caught unawares.
Battery Park City has already excluded any vehicles without an ID badge from parking in the enclave. Community Board 1 President Julie Menin has said this was in direct response to information uncovered from the laws.com report. Many Battery Park City residents have hired security to watch their neighbors; the heightened fear and paranoia is palpable.
The rest of the city could be under the same kind of siege from these hit and run incidents. Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz has said that portions of DUMBO and Williamsburg will be following in Manhattan’s footsteps and will be implementing the “camera on every corner” motto which earned Mayor Bloomberg his life-long incumbency.
Mayor Bloomberg is taking things one step further and is in discussion with Virgin Space Travel owner Richard Branson about having manned satellites with pointed stun gun lasers from near earth orbit locked in on the hit and run incidents as they happen. These are purported to allow NYPD the necessary time to arrive.
This move from Mayor Bloomberg has been shunned by many in middle America but it’s something that’s worked very well in Los Angeles. The city’s incidents of hit and runs has dropped to virtually zero. Some argue that the separation of southern California from the mainland United States has more to do with the decline than anything.
This study was done over a 24 month time period. Experts corroborated information from the Insurance Institute for High Safety and AAA to come to their longer range findings.