Almost everyone on the streets of New York City seems to be trespassing – but now it’s no longer illegal.

Supporters of the measure to decriminalize jaywalking said enforcement was often discriminatory.

“Let’s face it: jaywalking is a way of life in New York City. This is how people navigate our city,” Council Member Mercedes Narcisse of Brooklyn, the lead sponsor of the legislation, said in a statement to NPR.

“Penalizing residents for crossing the street while going about their day is outdated and unnecessary, especially given how disproportionately these penalties have been applied,” she said.

Jaywalking officially became legal last weekend, a month after the New York City Council passed a bill that would stop police from issuing tickets to pedestrians who stray outside the lines — an offense that used to be punishable by up to $250 .

“Police officers have told me they’d rather spend their time dealing with real safety issues than handing out citations,” Narcsisse said. “This law frees them up to focus on more critical community issues, making better use of their efforts and resources.”

New York City police have long faced criticism for stopping black and Hispanic pedestrians at a much steeper rate than white citizens.

Gothamist reported that in the first six months of 2024, the New York Police Department issued 786 pedestrian-related citations, 77 percent of which were directed at people of color or Hispanics.

“We’re seeing discriminatory enforcement of this, but the other thing is it’s not keeping us any safer,” said Queens Councilwoman Tiffany Cabán, who was one of the bill’s sponsors.

The legal aid society, which has long criticized capital punishment, praised the City Council for passing the law and said it would monitor the NYPD to make sure it complies with the new legislation.

“The decriminalization of jaywalking in New York is long overdue and eradicates a mechanism that the New York City Police Department (NYPD) has used for decades as a pretext to stop, question and search New Yorkers in especially those in communities of color. ,” said the Legal Aid Society in a statement.

“With this legislation now codified, we hope that both the Adams Administration and the City Council will continue to repeal relic laws that serve no public safety purpose and only trap people in the criminal justice system,” the group added.

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