In Queens, roughly 20 arrests related to alleged failure to comply with the city's social distancing mandate were made. Of those arrests, 16 were African American or Hispanic, two were Asian and two were white.
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz told ABC News on Friday that her office will not prosecute social distancing arrests. \"Nobody wants a health crisis to fuel a criminal justice crisis,\" said Katz, who contracted COVID 19, but has fully recovered.
\"We respect the challenges that the men and women of the New York City Police Department face in policing during this pandemic and the dangers that they face every day in keeping our city safe,\" said Katz. \"That being said, we are committed to nondiscriminatory and even-handed enforcement of all laws, not just social distancing laws. The health, safety and rights of all New Yorkers from every community are our priority.\"
![\"PHOTO:](\"http://a.abcnews.com/images/US/social-distance-policing-ny-4-rd-rc-200508_hpMain_4x3t_384.jpg\")
Michael Nagle/Redux
PHOTO: Police officers patrol near a social distancing sign in front of Domino Park during the coronavirus pandemic in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, May 3, 2020.
Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance is aware of six arrests where social distancing rules may have served as a predicate for the person to get stopped by the police. However, \"as a matter of policy our office declines to prosecute arrests for social distancing and other violations of the recent emergency executive orders,\" a spokesman with Vance's office told ABC News.
Meanwhile, the Staten Island District Attorney's Office has arrested anyone related to social distancing, said Ryan Lavis, a spokesman for the office on Friday.
Maddrey said he is still reviewing the videos along with body camera and surveillance footage to determine what, if any, discipline is warranted.
Maddrey added that the NYPD is concerned the videos undermine the work officers have been doing as coronavirus has changed the priorities of policing.
\"We've been giving out masks, we've helped create food banks, we've been part of giving out tablets so kids can do their school work, we've been assisting at funerals,\" Maddrey said.
Maddrey also agreed with critics that officers enforcing social distancing should themselves wear a mask.
\"Our officers have a duty to the community to wear their masks as often as they can. We have to be fair and we should be wearing a mask as we address that.\"
\"We will give more training to our officers, clearer protocols and make sure each of our neighborhoods are treated equally,\" de Blasio said on Friday. \"That being said, we are going to use NYPD to keep people safe, specifically when fighting this pandemic.\"
What to know about coronavirus:
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