Lawmakers: Time is Now to Reform and Retrain Municipal Police Departments

State Lawmakers and Police Training Expert to Unveil Proposals to Systematically Reform the Nation’s Largest Police Department and that of Municipalities throughout the State

 

 

Who:     Assemblyman Karim Camara,

Chair NYS Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic & Asian Legislative Caucus

Councilmember Vanessa L. Gibson

Chair, NYC Council Committee on Public Safety

Assemblyman Marcos Crespo,

Chair, NYS Assembly Task Force on New Americans

 

 

What:   Once again the use of deadly force by police has grabbed national attention with the deaths of unarmed black males.  Efforts to reform and retrain local police departments have been ongoing for decades.  State lawmakers and nationally recognized police training expert will unveil list of legislative reforms that need action in Albany and discuss problem with current training of police officers when interacting with civilians.

 

When:  Thursday, December 4, 2014 at 10AM

 

Where: Front Steps New York City Hall

 

Why:     For decades, the ability for the police to carry out its public safety duties has been hindered by the action of rogue police officers charged with brutality in highly publicized cases. Some of these cases included the killing of unarmed citizens. In many other instances, the excessive use of force or the blatant disrespect for city residents has dismantled the strong cooperation that should exist between law enforcement and the public.

 

For decades, State legislators have put forward legislation to address the issue of police brutality, increase accountability and improve police-community relations.  It is time these ideas become more than legislative proposals.  Many of them warrant becoming state law.

 

 

Listed here is a sample of the dozen of legislative proposals to improve community-policing by members of the Caucus:

 

Assembly Bill 4211 – Establishes the Office of Independent Inspector General in Police Department;

 

Assembly Bill 5112 – Establishes Office of Reentry Coordination for Wrongful Conviction Program;

 

Assembly Bill 8092 – Creates Office of Law Enforcement Inspector General and makes appropriation;

 

Assembly Bill 2418 – Creates the temporary state commission on the use of excessive force by law enforcement;

 

Assembly Bill 2467 – Requires police to complete community affairs duties on an annual basis;

 

Assembly Bill 2468 – Requires participation in a training refresher course in tactical communications and cultural and community awareness by members of New York City police;

 

Assembly Bill 5543 – Requires a police officer upon the arresting of a youth or upon the issuing of an appearance ticket to notify the parent or person legally responsible for such youth;

 

Assembly Bill 6041 – Requires police officers to successfully complete on an annual basis training for interactions with the mentally disabled;

 

Senate Bill 1833A – Relates to traffic stops conducted by law enforcement officers involving racial profiling;

 

Senate Bill 1981 – Establishes the office of law enforcement professional standards;

 

Senate Bill 2628 – Provides civilian review boards with the option to petition the court for an order that would permit the disclosure of all personnel records of certain officers;

 

Senate Bill 2783 – Creates the office of the law enforcement inspector general to oversee the intelligence operations of state and local law enforcement agencies;

 

Senate Bill 2833 – Requires state and local law enforcement officers to identify themselves to the public;

 

Senate Bill 3130 – Requires police agencies to file reports of civil rights offenses;

 

Senate Bill 3340 – Allows municipal commissions to use alternate lists for filling vacancies with resident and non-resident minority group members and women in order to achieve diversity;

 

Senate Bill 3808 – Creates the New York State Civilian Complaint Review Board to investigate alleged misconduct by police and peace officers;

 

Senate Bill 5723 – Requires a police officer upon the arresting of a youth or upon the issuing of an appearance ticket to notify the parent or person legally responsible for such youth;

 

Senate Bill 6140 – Requires the attorney general to prosecute New York city police officers charged with a criminal offense in violation of any of the laws of this state;

 

Senate Bill 7641 – Requires police officers who have discharged their weapon in the course of their employment to be tested for the presence of drugs and/or alcohol;

 

Senate Bill 7932 – Relates to videotaping uniformed personnel in the course of carrying out their professional duties;

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