In the Media

City Council must pass police reform before year ends

10/12/2017
Amsterdam News

The people in my community of Flushing, Queens, like New Yorkers in various other neighborhoods across the city, are tired of getting targeted and harassed by the NYPD. Police frequently approach people without identifying themselves or providing any justification. Despite the decline in the number of reported stops by the NYPD, there are many policing interactions initiated by officers that are going unrecorded. In these incidents, officers just do whatever they want without any accountability or transparency.

Exigen al Concejo que apruebe el Acta del “Derecho a saber” para frenar abusos de la policía

10/11/2017
El Diario

La llamada ley del “Derecho a saber”, una iniciativa que exige que los policías se identifiquen ante los sospechosos con sus nombres propios y de paso se les informe sobre las razones por las cuales están siendo detenidos y su derecho a rechazar el registro si no hay causa probable, vuelve a estar sobre la mesa, faltando apenas tres meses para que termine la sesión actual del Concejo Municipal.

Sponsors vow to pass cop transparency bills

10/11/2017
AM New York

Sponsors of two bills — one forcing NYPD cops in nonemergencies to identify themselves by name and rank, and the other requiring them to tell those they want to search of their constitutional right to deny a voluntary request — vowed Wednesday to pass both by the new year.

Nearly 1,000 supporters of the legislation, which have languished since 2014 but have veto-proof support in the City Council, picketed outside City Hall Wednesday to demand the city enact the bills.

“We deserve the right to know! Abusive cops have got to go!” the demonstrators chanted.

Family of Delrawn Small says trial date for officer who killed him ‘bittersweet’

Pre-trial hearings for the off-duty officer who fatally shot Delrawn Small wrapped up on Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2017. Above, Victoria Davis, Smalls' sister, speaks after the final pre-trial hearing. (Credit: Alison Fox)
09/13/2017
amNewYork

Small’s brother, Victor Dempsey, said setting a trial date is a step in the right direction, but it’s not the end for his family.


“It’s bittersweet,” he said. “It’s not going to be over. Unfortunately, we have to think of all the holidays that are going to come up, we have to think of the school year starting and ending for his kids. So yeah, we can get a trial and we’re asking for a speedy trial. ... What happens after that is we continue to fight. What happens after that is we continue to make sure that everyone’s held accountable, especially the NYPD, the mayor, everybody that’s part of this legal system.”

Fatal NYPD Shooting Reveals Weak Policies, Ineffective Discipline

Emotionally disturbed man shot and killed before any trained professionals could arrive.
08/01/2017
Reason.com

Police in Brooklyn shot and killed Dwayne Jeune after his mother had called 911 for help for her son, who reportedly had a history of mental illness.

The officers did not appear to follow NYPD procedures, NYC civil rights activist Keegan Stephan noted, and at least one of them, Miguel Gonzales, was involved in a similar shooting a year ago without receiving appropriate additional training in its aftermath.

NYPD Watchdog: Too Many Cops Are Preventing The Public From Filming Them

06/28/2017
The Village Voice

The Civilian Complaint Review Board, New York’s police watchdog organization, released a report on NYPD interference with civilian photography, concluding that “officer interference with civilian recordings of police conduct is an issue in New York City.” A review of cases handled by the agency over a three-year period found 257 interference-related complaints against officers, ranging from verbal interference with filming to physical force and tampering with or deleting recordings.

Video success in civilian complaints points to need for NYPD body cameras: Report

05/10/2017
amNewYork

Camera footage helped substantiate 7 percent more Civilian Complaint Review Board cases last year compared to cases without video, according to a new report released by the agency Wednesday.

These statistics, according to the CCRB, show that police-worn body cameras could help resolve cases involving police misconduct allegations. The NYPD is expanding its use of body cameras and expects to have deployed 5,000 cameras through 2018 and about 22,000 by the end of 2019.

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