The Structural Factors Associated with the Issuance of Court Summonses in New York City

• In Event: Enforcement of Lower-Level Offenses in New York City: Findings from the Misdemeanor Justice Project

Abstract

While it has been well-documented that policing practices tend to vary dramatically from place to place, the scope of existing research remains relatively limited. Existing research has mostly focused on police behaviors such as pedestrian stops and arrests. This neglects an important, high-volume police practice: the issuance of criminal summonses/citations. Summonses are issued for low-level violations and in New York City, the most frequently issued summonses are for public consumption of alcohol, disorderly conduct, and public urination. Although the number of summonses issued in New York City has declined since 2009, it remains the most frequent enforcement activity carried out by police. The current project will examine the spatial distribution of summonses in New York City, as well as how this distribution relates to several structural characteristics of areas across the City. Further we will examine the neighborhood-level predictors associated with summonses that result in an arrest warrant being issued. Results will provide a better understanding of the areas that are most impacted by this police practice. Suggestions for future research and policy implications will be discussed.

Authors

• Celina Cuevas, The Graduate Center, John Jay College / CUNY

• Kevin Wolff, The Graduate Center, John Jay College / CUNY