In addition to the bill regarding qualified immunity, the following “police reform” bills were also passed by the New York City Council on March 25, 2021.
Int. No. 1671-A
This bill would require the New York City Police Department to issue a quarterly report on all vehicle stops. The report would include the number of summonses issued, arrests made, vehicles seized, related use of force incidents, and vehicles searched and whether consent was provided. This information would be disaggregated (separated into its components) by precinct, race/ethnicity, and age of the driver.
Int. No. 2212-A
This bill would clarify that the Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB) has the power to investigate bias-based policing and racial profiling complaints made by the public. It would also provide that if — based on a final determination by the NYPD, the Board, the Commission on Human Rights, the Department of Investigation, or a court — a member of the NYPD engaged in an act of bias, the Board would be empowered to investigate past professional conduct by the member. If the act of bias was “severe” (defined by the Board), the investigation would be required. After the member has had an opportunity to respond to the Board’s findings and recommendations, the Board would be required to provide final versions to the member, the Police Commissioner and others. The Police Commissioner would have to respond in writing. The NYPD would be required to engage an independent consultant to review cases handled by the NYPD’s Equal Employment Opportunity Division between October 1, 2017 and October 31, 2020.
Int. No. 2224-A
This bill would require the Department of Transportation to create a crash investigation and analysis unit tasked with investigating, analyzing and reporting on all vehicle crashes involving significant injury. In addition to its crash investigation functions, the unit created by this legislation would be required to make recommendations for safety-improving changes to street design and infrastructure, and to post reports regarding its crash reviews on the Department of Transportation website.
We will continue to keep our members apprised of these and other police reform bills as attacks on our profession continue.
The “handwriting is on the wall.” Protect yourself and protect your partner, and the DEA will protect you.
Paul DiGiacomo
President
& The Board of Officers
