He’s pushed the mantra of “law and order,” but what about “equity and order?”
This week marked Eric Adams’ first week as mayor of New York City. The Black, male mayor has preached the mantra of taking back the streets that are already in the people’s possession.
For many New Yorkers, the inauguration of Eric Adams as the 110th mayor of New York City – and only the second Black person to serve in the position – has evoked a range of feelings, from excitement at the possibility of change to confusion and concern.
Bill de Blasio rode into office on the big promise of ending “the tale of two cities” by reducing the gaps between the haves and have-nots. He was the first Democrat elected to lead New York City since David Dinkins won his one and only term in 1989.
The New York City Police Department ignored the disciplinary recommendations of its oversight board in more than two-thirds of substantiated misconduct cases over more than 20 years, according to a report released by the New York Civil Liberties Union on December 14.
A few months ago, Salley May showed up at a mosque in Harlem where a woman was having a mental health crisis, holding children inside and refusing to allow people in or out. About 50 onlookers had gathered outside, as well as a large number of police officers.
A New York state judge ruled last week that the New York City Police Department illegally withheld body-worn footage in two police shootings, including the killing of Kawaski Trawick.
The judge said at an October hearing in the case that the NYPD had been operating in “bad faith.”
Body-worn cameras have been widely adopted by police departments over the past decade and can provide crucial evidence in misconduct cases. But like many police departments, the NYPD maintains full control over the footage, deciding what gets released and when.
The nonprofit newsroom, THE CITY, hosted a panel discussion in Flatiron about the future of policing in New York City under a new mayoral administration. Moderated by THE CITY Deputy Editor Hasani Gittens, the Nov. 10 discussion explored police reform efforts that have worked and how they could be implemented by the NYPD.
NYPD brass and Mayor Bill de Blasio announced last week that they’re taking a page out of the Walmart playbook: hiring brand-new “greeters” at all 77 police precincts in the city, who will have the sole responsibility of welcoming people and guiding them to the right offices and officers for the services or paperwork they need.
An NYPD sergeant could face discipline in the fatal shooting of Deborah Danner, five years after the Bronx woman’s death helped ignite a citywide reassessment of the role of police in responding to mental health calls.
Sergeant Hugh Barry is scheduled to begin a weeks-long department trial on Tuesday. He will be brought up on administrative charges of failure to supervise and poor tactical judgement in the high-profile killing.
“We do not support ‘defund the police.’ No one in my administration does.”