Brooklyn man harassed by NYPD officer after reporting sidewalk parking violations

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A Brooklyn man who reported cars parked on sidewalks near the 77th Precinct was harassed by a police officer . The officer was later fined $500 and forfeited more than $24,000 in vacation days. Despite the disciplinary action, the issue of sidewalk parking in Crown Heights persists. In 2021, the man received harassing voicemails from the officer after reporting the sidewalk parking issue. While the officer faced the consequences, vehicles continued to block pedestrian pathways. Last year, News 12 covered a community-led effort to clear the sidewalks near Brooklyn Green School. However, a year later, the problem remains. While the area in front of the school is clear, a line of cars starts just beyond the school’s boundary, clogging the sidewalks again. "It's busy as hell. It's causing commotion. They got to fix all that," one resident said. Three streets surrounding Brooklyn Green School and the 77th Precinct are crowded with vehicles parking on sidewalks, adding to pedestrians' ongoing frustrations. An NYPD representative acknowledged the difficulty of managing parking in the area. Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Justice sent a letter to the NYPD, noting that sidewalk parking violates the Americans with Disabilities Act. The department urged the NYPD to implement new parking policies and procedures to address the issue. "The NYPD strives each day to achieve a balance as we continue to work toward solutions," a NYPD spokesperson said. While the NYPD works on finding solutions, residents like Dwight Warren continue to walk in the street due to blocked sidewalks. "I can't walk on the block, so I walk in the street because there's always cars all up and down. It's pretty treacherous out here," Warren said. "