In the Media

Executive Order Forces New York City To Have (Another) Go At Police Reform

02/12/2021
Gothamist

Vannesa Boateng is 16 and from the Highbridge section of the Bronx. She has never felt at ease around the many police officers she sees in her neighborhood. Instead, she says she feels watched, like “a mouse in a maze.” 

“They’re here to make sure I behave,” Boateng said. “They’re here to make sure I get the cheese, and I go back home — I’m never supposed to do anything else but go to my target and go back home.”

Civil rights groups hold town hall to discuss NYPD reforms around ‘decriminalizing’ protests

02/12/2021
AM NY

On Wednesday, Feb. 10, civil rights groups, the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU), the Bronx Defenders and the Center for Constitutional Rights, held a “Redefining Community Safety” town hall to discuss NYPD reforms in New York City with a focus on “Decriminalizing Protests.”

This event was one in a series of town halls and forums sponsored by the Communities United for Police Reform (CPR). The goal of these meetings is “to engage the public and the communities most harmed by the NYPD and create a real plan for change in New York City.”

‘How are they even on the force?’: NYPD cops allowed to keep jobs after not getting out of car before Brooklyn woman’s murder

02/08/2021
New York Daily News

Two NYPD cops who failed to get out of their patrol car while responding to a domestic violence incident involving a Brooklyn woman who was then murdered by her husband have been allowed to keep their jobs, the Daily News has learned.

Officers Wing Hong Lau and Wael Jaber drove to the home of victim Tonie Wells but never left their car the morning of Dec. 22, 2017, as temperatures hovered in the low 20s.

Max & Murphy Podcast: The Police Reform Movement's Goals for 2021

02/04/2021
Gotham Gazette

February 3, 2020 - Max & Murphy Podcast: The Police Reform Movement's Goals for 2021

Kesi Foster of Communities United for Police Reform Action Fund joined the show to discuss what's next for the police reform movement in New York City, especially the next city budget fight and the 2021 city elections.

You can listen to the show through the embedded audio below or download the episode wherever you get your podcasts, under "Max & Murphy," and listen to Max & Murphy live on Wednesdays at 5 p.m. on WBAI radio, 99.5FM or wbai.org.

They Supported ‘Defund the Police.’ Then the Mayoral Campaign Began.

02/03/2021
New York Times

Nearly eight months ago, Scott M. Stringer stood in Brooklyn before an angry, unsettled gathering to memorialize the death of George Floyd. The best way to honor him, Mr. Stringer said, was to send a clear message to City Hall: “It’s time to defund the N.Y.P.D. now.”

But with the New York City mayoral primary looming in June, Mr. Stringer has distanced himself from the defund movement.

“A tale of a new city”

De Blasio delivers State of the City address
02/03/2021
Manhattan Times

From a tale of two cities to a tale of a new city.

Mayor Bill de Blasio delivered his 2021 State of the City address on January 28, emphasizing the city’s plan to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Let me tell you a story about how things change, about the way we come back, about the way we build something better,” de Blasio said.

“Let me tell you a tale of a new city,” he remarked, harkening back to his “two cities” campaign theme, which promised to end inequity.

Six Mayoral Contenders Say They Want NYPD Officers To Live In NYC. Would That Change Anything?

02/02/2021
Gothamist

Six mayoral candidates—Shaun Donovan, Kathryn Garcia, Andrew Yang, Carlos Menchaca, Maya Wiley, and Ray McGuire—now say they support a change in state law to require NYPD officers to live in New York City.

Donovan was the latest candidate to publicly voice support for the change at a debate Sunday night.

New York City Council Proposes Sweeping NYPD Reforms

02/01/2021
ProPublica

The New York City Council has announced an ambitious slate of legislation to reshape the NYPD and increase accountability at the nation’s largest police force. Among the proposed changes, the police commissioner would be stripped of final say over disciplining officers.

In an ongoing investigation, ProPublica has detailed how NYPD officers who’ve mistreated civilians have escaped significant punishment and even been promoted to top positions, while commissioners have often dismissed proposed penalties for officers.

NYC community groups to play formal role in hiring of NYPD precinct commanders: de Blasio

01/28/2021
New York Daily News

Community groups will now play a formal role in the selection of NYPD precinct commanders, Mayor de Blasio announced Thursday.

Police precinct community councils will be able to interview candidates who are being considered for the posts and review their performance after they’ve been hired under the plan.

Yet the council’s feedback is only advisory, and the police commissioner will have a final say over who’s chosen.

NYPD commissioner vows to alert public if he deviates from new disciplinary guidelines for rogue cops

01/26/2021
New York Daily News

When rogue police are punished by the NYPD, it will be by the book — and if it isn’t, the public is going to know why, the city’s top cop pledged Tuesday.

NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea said he does not plan to deviate from the punishments laid out in the department’s new Disciplinary Matrix.

“When we have a set of rules, whether as a police officer or a police commissioner putting out discipline, when we are working on agreed upon rules, the expectation is that they are going to be followed,” Shea told NY1.

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