Council Member Stephen Levin commends the NYPD for agreeing to reform the way they conduct investigations of traffic crashes, by both broadening the kinds of injuries that would trigger an investigation and by increasing the number of investigators who are qualified to respond to these life altering collisions. These changes were brought on by a hearing that the Council had in July of last year wherein it was brought to the attention of the Council that there were only 19 detectives assigned to NYPD’s Accident Investigation Squad (AIS) citywide and that accidents were only investigated when a victim was deemed “likely to die” or had, in fact died.

As a result of that hearing Council Member Levin introduced a number of pieces of legislation aimed to address this problem, including Res. 1734, which called on the NYPD to increase the number of trained police officers able to conduct investigations involving serious injury, and Res. 1735, which called on the Department to revise its patrol guide to broaden the kind of injuries that would trigger an investigation.

Levin said, “These are important changes that will save lives and give recourse to those injured in serious traffic crashes. I am thrilled that the NYPD has heard our call to make New York a safer city.” Levin also thanked other leaders involved in pushing for this change: “I’d especially like to thank Speaker Quinn, Council Members Vacca and Vallone, and Transportation Alternatives who each have worked diligently to reform the way the NYPD investigates traffic crashes.”

Paul Steely White, Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives, a leading transportation advocacy organization, said, “Thanks to the work of leaders like Council Member Levin, the years-long effort to reform the NYPD’s crash investigation practices has achieved a major victory. No longer will a traffic crash resulting in a life-altering injury receive the same cursory inquiry as a fender-bender. We applaud the NYPD for taking this necessary step to give traffic crime victims and their families the thorough investigations they deserve and bring a greater measure of justice to our streets.”

Jake Stevens, who tragically lost his wife Clara Heyworth after she was struck by a motorist also welcomed these changes: “I welcome these new steps taken by the City of New York to address road safety and I very much hope that New Yorkers will continue to press for traffic safety to be a City priority.”

(YWN Desk – NYC)