Council Votes to Decriminalize Many Quality-of-Life Offenses, Citing Stigma

There were a few City Council Members, generally representing predominantly white districts in Staten Island and Queens, who expressed the conviction May 25 that in decriminalizing quality-of-life offenses including public urination, drinking on the street and remaining in parks after closing hours, the Council was striking a blow against civilization and, as one of them put it, removing “another tool from the NYPD.”

There were a few more who were equally outspoken in contending that the chan­ges would immeasurably improve the quality of life for minority residents who they said unfairly received the bulk of such summonses and had their lives changed for the worse as a result of these non-violent offenses.