NYPD to subway acrobats: Sit down
The underground acrobats who flip, somersault and pole-dance among New York City subway riders as trains roll are drawing a new audience — police officers.
The New York Police Department is cracking down on the subway showmen who use the tight quarters of the nation’s busiest transit system as moving stages for impromptu — and illegal — pass-the-hat performances. More than 240 people have been arrested on misdemeanors related to acrobatics so far this year, compared with fewer than 40 at this time a year ago.
Police Commissioner William Bratton acknowledges he is targeting subway acrobats as part of his embrace of the “broken windows” theory of policing — that low-grade lawlessness can cultivate a greater sense of disorder and embolden more dangerous offenders.