Mediating the Gap: Youth-NYPD Transit Police Mediation in New York City

Despite a rich history of racial and ethnic diversity, New York City is no stranger to the deep-rooted rifts that have become emblematic of the contentious relationship between law enforcement agencies and people of color in communities across the United States. NYC’s subway system extends across nearly 660 miles and transports nearly 1.4 billion passengers across five boroughs. Nearly 2 million of those commuters are under the age of 18, and 21.2 percent are high school-aged (grades 9 to 12) students who commute daily via the subway. This paper discusses the antagonistic relationship between minority youth commuters and the New York City Police Department’s transit officers. It explores and evaluates the potential of transformative mediation as a conflict resolution tool to reduce tensions and violent confrontations between minority youth and police officers, and recommends the creation of a police-community mediation program specifically designed to improve minority youth-NYPD transit police relations.