The NYPD is telling officers to stop giving out tickets for spitting, except in the transit system, and vehicle idling, except in response to specific complaints, according to internal NYPD guidance issued Friday that was reviewed by Gothamist.
The directive also cautioned officers not to issue summonses for jaywalking, which has not been a criminal offense since 2024.
It follows criticism by some New Yorkers over an increase in so-called quality of life enforcement by the NYPD. In October, a video circulated on social media that showed an NYPD officer forcefully arresting someone they had stopped for spitting in Brownsville, Brooklyn. Days later, City Councilmember Chris Banks announced that he would introduce a bill striking spitting from the city’s litter ordinance…