Council moves on NYPD hit-and-run data bill

The City Council's new transportation chair Wednesday led a vote to overturn former Mayor Michael Bloomberg's veto of a bill requiring NYPD to publish hit-and-run data.

The committee, chaired by Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez of upper Manhattan, unanimously voted against Bloomberg's 11th-hour December veto, sending the bill to the full City Council for an official override. Bloomberg's veto message cited concern with "draining scarce police resources" and compliance costs.

"Hit-and-run crashes, particularly those that result in serious injuries or death, are especially revolting criminal acts that we must be sure are receiving extensive investigation by the police," Rodriguez said. "It is in the interest of public safety for the NYPD to report statistics relating to such incidents."

The council is expected to override the veto at its Feb. 4 meeting. The legislation would require the NYPD to publish on its website precinct-by-precinct data on the number of hit-and-run crashes that cause critical injuries to pedestrians as well as closed cases beginning July 2015. Further, the council speaker would be briefed on the details of ongoing investigations.

"This is going to place a greater impetus on the investigation and subsquent arrest of perpetrators who commit hit-and-run violations," said Russell Murphy, Rodriguez's spokesman.

A rep for Mayor Bill de Blasio did not return a request for comment on the legislation.