Police reform in America’s largest city has taken a strange turn in 2017.
On Tuesday, the New York City Council passed two police reform bills. One marks a vital step toward police reform and accountability. The other takes our city in the wrong direction.
The New York City Council passed a pair of landmark police-reform bills Tuesday — one by a wide margin and one more narrowly — that aim to impose strict rules on how NYPD cops search and question New Yorkers.
Introduction 541-C, which would require the NYPD to instruct officers on how to get consent from people they search without a warrant, passed 37 votes to 13 at the Council's last meeting of the year. The bill would also require the Police Department to develop policies for recording such searches and explicitly telling civilians that they can refuse to be searched.
The City Council passed the Right to Know Act, a package of police reform bills, despite opposition from some Council members over a last-minute compromise made to appease the NYPD.
One bill, sponsored by Bronx Councilman Ritchie Torres, a speaker candidate, mandates that cops to identify themselves when making a stop. This bill was changed to have the identification requirement only cover stops involving suspicion of criminal activity. The other bill, sponsored by Brooklyn Councilman Antonio Reynoso, requires cops to ask for permission before searching an individual.
The City Council is set to vote Tuesday on a package of major police accountability legislation that aims to protect New Yorkers from improper police searches. The pair of bills, known together as the Right to Know Act, passed the Council's Committee on Public Safety in a split vote on Monday.
This Tuesday, New York City Council members will vote on the two-headed package of bills known as the Right To Know Act. The original two pieces of legislation, that are now versions, Intro 541-C and Intro 182-D, were drafted in an effort to improve police accountability, communication and transparency during police encounters.
City Council legislation meant to force NYPD officers to identify themselves in certain nonemergency encounters — and distribute business cards when there is no arrest or summons — is continuing to lose support from foes of police misconduct.
The groups say the bill ultimately creates loopholes that cops can exploit.
Last week, New York City government took a step forward and also a step backwards on police accountability. The half of the Right to Know Act sponsored by Council Member Antonio Reynoso (Intro 541-C) remains in an effective form that will help protect New Yorkers from unconstitutional searches. It is a testament to his strong leadership and skilled legislative negotiating, and should be passed by the City Council.
City Council legislation meant to force NYPD officers to identify themselves in certain nonemergency encounters — and distribute business cards when there is no arrest or summons — is continuing to lose support from foes of police misconduct.
The groups say the bill ultimately creates loopholes that cops can exploit.
On Tuesday, the New York City Council will vote on two police accountability bills. One represents real reform that will protect New Yorkers' privacy rights when police ask to search them without probable cause. The other is faux reform that is the result of a backroom deal between powerful politicians and the New York Police Department.
