STREET SAFETY BUREAU

 

STREET SAFETY BUREAU

The Brooklyn District Attorney’s Street Safety Bureau assists in police investigations of traffic violence cases, with emphasis on protecting bicyclists and pedestrians, responding to scenes of serious collisions and coordinating support services for victims and their families. Bureau members also work directly with legislators to assist in drafting and revising bills to combat vehicular violence, attend Safety Board meetings and host regular meetings with traffic safety advocates, among other duties.

Much like in homicide cases, prosecutors get involved in the investigation of collisions with fatalities of cyclists or pedestrians at an earlier stage. Once the NYPD’s Collision Investigation Squad is activated, the Street Safety Bureau immediately dispatches a prosecutor to the scene at any time, day or night.

The attorney assists police in identifying evidence, speaks to witnesses while their memories are fresh, documents relevant information, drafts warrants to facilitate the gathering of evidence and makes initial contact with victims and their families. This real-time presence helps prosecutors determine early on whether criminality is suspected and ensures that all the evidence at the scene is preserved and reviewed. When appropriate, the Bureau also sends a social worker from the District Attorney’s Victim Services Bureau to the hospital. Support remains available to victims whether the incident proceeds as a criminal matter or not, like services currently provided to victims of sexual assault and domestic violence.

In addition, the Bureau is taking steps to accumulate reliable statistics regarding crashes involving pedestrians and cyclists in Brooklyn to coordinate proactive enforcement and community outreach in areas prone to vehicular violence. Members of the Bureau will also meet on a regular basis with advocates and other stakeholders to answer questions and discuss strategies to improve safety by promoting better laws, identifying collision hot spots and pursuing other ideas and initiatives.

Find out more about Circles for Safe Streets.

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