Name: NYC Council passes ground-breaking police reform bills with veto-proof majority
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NYC Council passes ground-breaking police reform bills with veto-proof majority

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AdvertisementBy New York Daily NewsJun 18, 2020 at 6:39 pm The City Council passed a wave of historic police reform bills on Thursday with veto-proof majority — meaning Mayor de Blasio cannot shoot down the new legislation. “The NYC Council just passed legislation to criminalize chokeholds and other methods of restraint (such as kneeling on a person’s neck) used by police officers while conducting an arrest,” Council Speaker Corey Johnson tweeted late Thursday afternoon.Advertisement After years of mixed signals on police reform, De Blasio said on Thursday he would sign the chokehold bill, calling it “the right thing to do.” He did not comment on the other legislation passed on Thursday. The laws call for oversight of police surveillance technologies, criminalizing any form of chokehold, the right to record police activities, requiring all officers to keep their shield numbers visible, and a review system to track and identify cops who might need more training, monitoring or reassignment.AdvertisementSeveral conservative council members opposed some of the bills, including Councilman Joseph Borelli (R-Staten Island) Councilman Steven Matteo (R-Staten Island) and Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Queens). Councilman Kalman Yeger (D-Brooklyn) and Councilman Robert Holden (D-Queens) also voted ‘nay’ on a few of the bills.The vote came after the council’s Committee on Public Safety on Thursday moved in favor of the ground-breaking legislation. “With this reform, we will attract police officers that want to serve, keeping our communities safe, getting the respect from the community — but not thinking that just because they have a gun, they have all the power to go around cursing or hurting people,” said Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez (D-Manhattan) during the committee hearing.“I don’t think most police officers are bad apples, but we have a few bad apples everywhere,” he added. “This will not make the job of the NYPD harder. It will make a difference. ... Those who are not ready to work this way, they can get another job.”The changes garnered measured support from NYPD First Deputy Commissioner Ben Tucker, that “the department can support this legislation with minor amendments,” adding that the bill “fails to take account of the particular circumstances of many struggles during the course of arrests.”AdvertisementMinutes before the Council announced its final vote on Thursday, the city’s detective union rallied against the POST Act, one of the laws that passed that requires the NYPD to publish the surveillance technology it uses. “We feel [this bill] will endanger the lives of our undercover New York City police detectives,” said Detective Endowment Association President Paul DiGiacomo. “It’s the most dangerous job in policing. These detectives put their lives on the line every day, buying drugs, buying guns and doing other undercover operations.” As it happensGet updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. &gt; Councilwoman Alicka Ampry-Samuel (D-Brooklyn), who backed the bill regarding badge visibility, said during the committee hearing that police accountability starts with more transparency.“Uniformed can no longer hide or cover their badge number during a protest,” she said. “This will no longer be tolerated, and will now give people a right to a private action in court.”“When policies don’t work within our agencies, as a Council body we must legislate,” she added. “And this bill and the accompanying pieces of legislation is a start.”Councilman Rory Lancman (D-Queens) — who sponsored the bill to criminally charge an officer who uses a chokehold or other types of restraints that prevents a person’s ability to breathe — stems from the death of Eric Garner, who died after former NYPD Officer Daniel Pantaleo put him in the banned police maneuver.Advertisement“Having witnessed that, how can we not act?” Lancman said during the committee meeting, later noting that the legislation is a more comprehensive version of the anti-chokehold law recently passed in Albany. “I want to be optimistic that the mayor will sign the bill into law,” he said. “But if he doesn’t, I’m confident that we have the votes to override his veto.”With Michael Gartland, Shant Sharigan and Kerry Burke Advertisement

AdvertisementBy New York Daily NewsJun 18, 2020 at 6:39 pm The City Council passed a wave of historic police reform bills on Thursday with veto-proof majority — meaning Mayor de Blasio cannot shoot down the new legislation. “The NYC Council just passed legislation to criminalize chokeholds and other methods of restraint (such as kneeling on a person’s neck) used by police officers while conducting an arrest,” Council Speaker Corey Johnson tweeted late Thursday afternoon.Advertisement After years of mixed signals on police reform, De Blasio said on Thursday he would sign the chokehold bill,...

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NYC Council passes ground-breaking police reform bills with veto-proof majority

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