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Arrests in New York City Decline Further, Pointing to Deliberate Police Slowdown

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Police officers from the 84th Precinct listen during the funeral for slain New York Police Department officer Liu in the Brooklyn borough of New York
Police officers from the 84th Precinct listen during the funeral for slain New York Police Department officer Wenjian Liu in the Brooklyn borough of New York January 4, 2015.Carlo Allegri —REUTERS
By Rishi Iyengar

New York City has seen a sudden, sharp drop in arrests over the past two weeks, lending further credence to rumors of a work slowdown by the city’s police department amid a conflict with Mayor Bill de Blasio.

Statistics showed that the number of arrests for minor infractions, traffic violations and parking violations dropped by more than 90% last week compared to the same week last year, the Associated Press reported. For more serious offenses, the arrest rate reduced by 55%.

The number of arrests took a nosedive in the week after two officers were shot on Dec. 20, in an apparent revenge killing for the deaths of two unarmed black men, Eric Garner and Michael Brown, at the hands of police officers. However, police unions denied any involvement in the slowdown.

[AP]

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Write to Rishi Iyengar at rishi.iyengar@timeasia.com