Stop Street Harassment

Making Public Spaces Safe and Welcoming

Force the MTA to Release Harassment Crime Stats

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A few weeks ago, NY’s Metro ran an op-ed by Holla Back NYC co-founder Emily May about how the NYPD and MTA are failing to release crime stats on harassment and assault in the subway.

On Holla Back NYC, Emily reports that since her op-ed, she and New Yorkers for Safe Transit have successfully joined forces with Assemblymember Jim Brennan and Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer to address the issue. Brennan will submit a bill to the State Assembly in the fall to force the MTA to release crime statistics. She writes,

“Stringer’s office is currently FOILing the MTA to see if they can get the data. Together, we will put an end to harassment on the subway!”

Congrats & keep it up, Emily, New Yorkers for Safe Transit and your legislative collaborators! I can’t wait to see what happpens this fall.

Related, last week, AMNY ran a follow up article to Emily’s op-ed, including the following about the low report rate of harassment crimes on NY’s public tranasportation system:

“Few victims report the crimes, according to the Stringer survey. Often, they don’t know whom to turn to, or can’t find an officer or MTA attendant. That problem could grow worse, as the MTA is eliminating its station agents through attrition starting in September….

Last year, the MTA launched an ad campaign encouraging victims to report unwanted touching to police or a MTA employee. Transit officials said they also covers about a third of its subway stations with cameras.

Some victims have started fighting back by catching offenders in the act with their camera phones, and last September the city began accepting digital photos of perpetrators through its 911 line.”

Have you taken a picture of a perpetrator and submitted it to the police? If so, what was your experience? Did they do anything?

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Reminder: Tomorrow is NYers for Safe Transit Meeting

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TakeBackPublicTransitJune8EventNYCNew Yorkers for Safe Transit Presents…

Taking Back Public Transit: Ending Violence On Board
Mon., June 8th, 7 p.m.
Brecht Forum, 451 West St. (btwn. Bank & Bethune), NY
light refreshments will be served

You shouldn’t have to compromise your safety and well-being to simply get across town. Unfortunately, many New Yorkers do. Harassment and even violent attacks are happening on subways and at station platforms across the five boroughs.

That’s why New Yorkers for Safe Transit is bringing people together to put a stop to the violence.  Join Cate Contino, Straphangers Campaign; Emily May, HollaBack NYC; Mya Vasquez, TransJustice; and Veronica Tirado, Safe Outside the System, for a frank discussion about how to address violence and harassment, the issues riders are facing, and how to make effective change. All are welcome to share their own experiences and expertise that we can transform into action.

For more information on this event please visit
http://www.facebook.com/l/;http://rightrides.org/templates/programs.php?page=safety_mtgs

To RSVP for this event please email newyorkersforsafetransit@http://www.facebook.com/l/;gmail.com or call http://www.facebook.com/l/;718.522.0822.

Event is free, but donations of $10 per person are appreciated to help further this movement.

New Yorkers for Safe Transit is a coalition of organizations and advocates dedicated to eliminating harassment and assaults particularly gender- or discrimination-based on public transportation in New York City. The coalition focuses on raising public awareness, community building, and facilitating changes that ensure New Yorkers can get from one location to another safely and securely.

(The above text is reprinted from Friends of RightRides Facebook message)

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Street Harassment Round Up – May 17

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Stories:

On Holla Back DC! a contributor talks about her bystander efforts to challenge street harassers. She says, “If I’m close enough when I spot men ogling women who are unaware they’re being ogled, I usually say something in the lines of ‘I saw you do that, and you better not try it with me! Nasty!’ to embarrass them.'”

As mentioned in the last two week round ups, since April 26, HollaBack NYC has been posting one photo a day of street harassers. They will continue to do so for a month. All of the photos are being submitted by one woman, Sally N., a New York City resident. Emily at HollaBack NYC says, “We believe these pictures tell the story of what it’s like to be a woman in the big apple.” Visit HollaBack NYC to see these photos.

Share your street harassment story today and help raise awareness about the problem!

In the News:

  • A man disguised as a woman gropes a woman on the women-only subway car in Mexico City
  • A man in Vancouver, Canada, and a man in West Redding, UK, were arrested and tried, respectively, for sexual assault of young women in public places.

Upcoming Events:

Street Harassment Resource of the Week:

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Street Harassment Round Up – April 19

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Stories:

Holla Back DC posted many compelling posts this week, but one of my favorites was about male allies: “Can you imagine the affect this would have if enough men stepped in and said this every time they saw sexual harassment occurring? We would see a positive change.”

On this blog, a contributor wrote about her success in stopping chronic harassers near her workplace.

Activism/Recognition:

ineveraskToday Blank Noise held a street harassment event in Bombay (visit their site for an update on how it went), where women were invited to bring an article of clothing they’d been harassed in and wear clothing they’d always wanted to wear but hadn’t for fear of harassment. Details of the event were e-mailed to the participants with promise of public participation.

Street harassment-focused self defense class by Defend Yourself occurred in DC on April 18. Read my post about attending it.

Emily May of HollaBack NYC has been selected for the Women Media Center’s second class of Progressive Women’s Voices (PWV) for 2009. The program aims to make women visible and powerful in the media everyday and the selected women like Emily are the “go-place for journalists looking for women sources, experts, and commentators.” Emily was selected in great part because of her work on HollaBack and her expertise on street harassment. Congrats, Emily, way to get the issue out there in mainstream media.

Upcoming Events:

April 22, a RightRides volunteer orientation in New York

April 29, Holla Back DC! blog launch party in Washington, DC

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