In the hands of the law

"I think this goes to a public education campaign. This is not NYPD's fault, this is a culture that has been allowed to fester for generations." [source]

Whether or not you agree with that assessment, we know that large cities aren't the only areas effected by the street harassment epidemic. But because of size and resources, thankfully, slowly, metropolitan areas and their governing officials are starting to discuss invasions of indecency in public space in a serious manner.

This week, Manhattan Borough president Scott Stringer issued a report, "Hidden in Plain Sight, Sexual Harassment and Assault in the New York City Subway System". The reports findings include some important statistics about street harassment in public transit, including:

• 63 percent of respondents reported having been sexually harassed in the New York City subway system.


• 10 percent of respondents reported having been sexually assaulted in the New York City subway system.


• 69 percent of respondents reported having felt the threat of sexual assault or harassment in the New York City subway system.


• Of those respondents, 51 percent reported “sometimes” or “frequently” feeling the threat of sexual harassment or assault in the New York City subway system.


• 96 percent of respondents who indicated that they were sexually harassed did not contact the NYPD and/or the MTA to file a report or seek assistance.


• 86 percent of respondents who indicated that they were sexually assaulted did not contact the NYPD and/or the MTA to file a report or seek assistance.

Also included in Stringer's press release were guidelines to work against street harassment:

• Ensuring that NYPD tracks subway sexual harassment and assault crimes as stand-alone offenses; tracks the prevalence of these crimes across time, borough, individual subway lines, and stations; and makes all of these statistics publicly available and easily accessible.


• Increasing NYPD presence on subway trains & in subway stations.


• Introducing and upgrading needed safety amenities throughout the transit network.


• Launching an ongoing public awareness campaign to educate riders about the risk of sexual harassment and assault in the subway system, preventive measures that riders can take, steps that victims of sexual harassment and assault can take to seek support, and the overall importance of reporting sexual harassment and assault incidents to authorities.

As street harassment falls on the spectrum of sexual violence, it's also important to remember that most sex crimes are underreported because of the sometimes unfortunate lack of resources and recourse for survivors.

Unfortunately, some high-ranking public officials a little closer to home - like the Boston Police Department's Superintendent-in-Chief - have gotten tripped up on their misogyny. Let's hope Boston steps up to the example set by the NYPD and solidifies the role of law enforcement in helping making our streets more safe.