NYPD "work stoppage" benefits poor New Yorkers

Yesterday, commenter cm said he'd like to see the results of the NYPD's unwillingness to arrest anyone. (Immediately, let us pause to say "Aw, the poor police officers feelings are hurt so they're not gonna do their jobs no more". Hahaha. Okay, on with the post.) But it looks like NY's poor, who are the traditional target of "broken windows" policing, stand to benefit the most. (There is wondrous irony in this, since Eric Garner was killed during a meaningless and totally unnecessary "broken windows" arrest.) Think Progress is on the case:

In response to growing tensions between the New York Police Department and the city, police unions encouraged officers last week to not make arrests “unless absolutely necessary,” resulting in a 66 percent drop from the same period last year. While the protests have drawn scrutiny for “squandering the department’s credibility” and leaving the city’s streets virtually unattended, they have also had the unintended effect of benefitting New York’s low income residents who are usually the target of the city’s tough-on-crime practices. 

There's also this:

Although it’s not the intended goal of the work stoppage, the decline in arrests could save New Yorkers money. The city residents who are normally hit with tickets for minor violations tend to be low income individuals who are forced to pay up a hefty portion of their paychecks.

Sounds like the NYPD is shooting itself in the foot. Since that's a lot better than them shooting black people, let's hear it for the NYPD work stoppage. Hooray!!!

Extra bonus: the NYPD relies on the money it makes from harassing poor people, so their budget is experiencing a huge hit. Okay, let's say it again: Hooray!!!