In the Media

One year after Eric Garner's death, a quest for path out of 'police-community hostility'

One year ago, bystander videos captured the arrest and killing by chokehold of Eric Garner. His death began a year of bipartisan soul-searching as many began to contemplate what needs to be done as the nation moves forward.
07/17/2015
Christian Science Monitor

On a muggy, midweek evening in early July, about 700 police officers, just a week on the job, gathered at the famed Apollo Theater in Harlem, ready to watch a candid onstage conversation between six veteran cops and six inner city kids.

The fresh-faced newbie cops, as some of the veterans call them, were the first to graduate from the New York Police Department’s gleaming new $750 million training facility in College Point, Queens. They are also some of the first to be trained under the department’s revamped training programs.

Policing Experts Focus on Public Trust, Accountability Measures

07/01/2015
Gotham Gazette

Just one day after NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton resisted calls from City Council members pushing police reform legislation — which followed the news that 1297 new officers will be added to the force— police accountability was scrutinized by several key players, including the NYPD Inspector General, at a forum hosted by good government group Citizens

Council schedules hearing on police reform proposals

06/25/2015
Capital New York

A week after claiming victory in the administration's decision to hire an additional 1,300 police officers, the City Council has scheduled a hearing for next Monday on a series of police reform proposals, including some that are opposed by Mayor Bill de Blasio and the NYPD.

The public safety committee will hear nine bills, including two that have enough sponsors to pass, but fall short of having enough votes to override a mayoral veto. A third bill is two votes shy of passage.

Improving Police-Community Relations

05/19/2015
Capital Tonight - Time Warner Cable News

President Obama is pushing for more community policing and less use of military grade equipment. The White House has released the final report from a special task force on policing. The goal was to find ways to improve the relationship between citizens and the police after a series of high-profile deaths. Jose Lopez of Make the Road New York served on the task force and joined us to talk about efforts on both the state and federal level.

A 'crisis of police abuse' is 'dehumanizing' communities of color

05/04/2015
New York Daily News
At a time when police seem to hold such an exalted place in society that they are beyond the justice demanded by common citizens, it’s no surprise that few give any credence to the man who attempted to blame the victim last week by declaring that Freddie Gray intentionally tried to injure himself. Actually, many expected something like this would emerge, to deflect responsibility from the Baltimore police — and justify the use of force with impunity. But the fact is that, as I write this column, two weeks after Freddie Gray, 25, died while in Baltimore police custody, no officer has been fired, arrested, or prosecuted — although Friday the State’s Attorney, Marilyn Mosby, said that Gray’s death had been ruled a homicide.

NYPD Arrest Retraining Discourages Verbal Abuse, Physical Violence

05/04/2015
NBC 4 New York
"Training is a positive step in the right direction, but ultimately it's inadequate in dealing with the systemic breakdown when it comes to accountability," said Monifa Bandele of Communities United for Police Reform, one of several groups that want laws to give outside watchdog agencies and prosecutors more power to investigate and punish officers if necessary.

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