In the Media
NYC Council approves NYPD 'How Many Stops Act' and solitary confinement ban
NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- New York City Council overwhelmingly approved two measures on Wednesday that the mayor strongly opposes, including one that would ban most forms of solitary confinement at city jails in most cases.
The other measure would require officers to report all street stops.
Advocates of the bills maintain this is about accountability and addressing racial disparities in the use of solitary confinement and how police conduct their investigations.
NYPD officers now have to report when they stop someone on the street to ask for ID
Police are now required to report low-level encounters with citizens after the City Council passed the How Many Stops Act on Wednesday.
The bill garnered 35 votes at the Council’s last meeting of the year. Mayor Eric Adams has 30 days to veto the measure. If he does, the Council can override the veto with a majority vote.
City Council passes bill requiring NYPD to report most encounters with civilians
What You Need To Know
The NYPD would have to record more information about civilian interactions every time they stop someone
Right now, they only record the most serious of interactions, when there's "reasonable suspicion" to stop an individual
Advocates said it aims to hold police officers accountable for unlawful stops
Opponents, including Mayor Adams, said it takes away time from officers doing their job to protect the public
City Council passes How Many Stops Act but mayor not expected to sign
The City Council has passed a bill requiring NYPD officers to report basic information on many of their encounters, but the mayor is not expected to sign it.
The legislation had been a point of controversy among city officials. The How Many Stops Act would require officers to report the race, age and gender of the New Yorkers who they approach, as well as any factors leading to the interaction and the outcomes.
NYC Council passes ‘How Many Stops’ policing bill
The Failed Promise of Police Body Cameras
NYC needs transparency in policing. It’s time to pass the ‘How Many Stops Act’
Public safety is a matter of urgent and rising concern among New Yorkers. The impact of the pandemic, rising inequality, a growing mental health crisis, and skyrocketing costs of living have made life for working families difficult here in New York, the largest city in the U.S. It is all the more important, in this context, that our elected officials work to improve the long-strained relationship between the NYPD and the communities it serves. Passing the How Many Stops Act would be an important step forward.
NY criminal-justice groups want increased police transparency
New York City community advocates want to reduce the number of stop-and-frisk encounters with police.
The American Civil Liberties Union of New York City reported the city's police department made more than 15,000 stops so far in 2023, the most since 2015. Data also show police primarily stopped Black and Latino people, although they were mostly innocent or not given a summons.
Advocates, leaders call for act to improve NYPD transparency
Local leaders and advocates are proposing the How Many Stops Act, which would require the NYPD to be transparent about every encounter involving a stop and search.
This comes over a decade after a federal ruling proclaimed the NYPD's practice of stop-and-frisk to be unconstitutional. The Community Safety Act passed in 2013 to ban discrimination practices by the NYPD, but advocates say they don't believe it was enough.