Dear Mr. Mayor,
As a devoted cyclist and concerned citizen, I was wondering if you had any figures on what the crackdown on the monthly Critical Mass rides has cost the city to this point. I'm sure it can't be inexpensive to keep multiple helicopters aloft for hours at a time, and the visible numbers of policemen and officials at these events have been pretty incredible. Since I'm sure that many of those men are on overtime, that must get pretty expensive as well. And the orange netting and plastic handcuffs surely must cost the city something, right? So if you or someone in your office could let me know what the police presence at the August, September, October and November Manhattan Critical Mass rides and the October and November Brooklyn Critical Mass rides has cost, I'd be very much obliged.
This topic is of particular concern to me as a New Yorker during these trying financial times, when the City, as I'm sure you're well aware must do more with less and make sure every dollar spent is spent wisely and to good effect. With that in mind, I'd like to know if, in your opinion, the time and money spent by the NYPD and the City have been worth it, seeing as how the rides continue and seem likely to do so for the forseeable future. What, exactly, is the benefit the city has derived from all of the money spent on this enforcement?