Racial Justice & Related Resources: New York 's Racial Justice

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  Affirms the right to record police activities

Proposed Introduction No. 721-B,  affirms the right to film police activities generally, and establish a cause of action enabling individuals to sue in state court for any violation of this right.

Criminalizes chokeholds and other restraints

Proposed Introduction No. 536-B, criminalize the use of restraints that restrict the flow of air or blood by compressing another individual’s windpipe or arteries on the neck, or by putting pressure on the back or chest, by police officer making an arrest.

“Requires on-duty police officers to display their badge at all times

Preconsidered Introduction No. 1962-A,  requires officers to display their shield number or rank designation at all times when the officer is performing their duties.

Requires the NYPD to develop a disciplinary matrix

Proposed Introduction No. 1309-B,  require the NYPD to develop a “disciplinary matrix,” which gives a recommended range of penalties for each type of violation. The NYPD Commissioner would retain the ultimate discretion to override the recommendation of the matrix, but the Department would be required to report on how often the Commissioner deviated from the matrix. 

Requires an expansion of the NYPD’s Early Intervention System

Proposed Introduction No. 760-B,  require the New York City Police Department (NYPD) to expand the categories of information included in its Early Intervention System (EIS) to include information like certain types of arrests made, incidents of excessive force, and ongoing disciplinary proceedings. 

Public Oversight of Surveillance Technology (POST) Act

Proposed Introduction No. 487-A, require the reporting and evaluation of surveillance technologies used by the New York City Police Department (NYPD).  

Select listing of Bills Passed:

The Safer New York Act is a package of bills in the New York State Legislature that would help increase police transparency and help increase accountability to New Yorkers' most common encounters with police. The #SaferNYAct includes the Police Statistics and Transparency (STAT) Act, codifying and strengthening the Special Prosecutor executive order, reducing Unnecessary Arrests for low-level, ticketable offenses, repealing the NYS police secrecy law (CRL section 50-a), and legalizing marijuana with strong attention paid to ensuring that resources are reinvested in communities most harmed by prohibition.

Weapons Discharge Reporting (S.2575-B/A.10608)

Any law enforcement officer or peace officer who discharges their weapon, while on or off duty, where a person could be struck by a bullet from the weapon is required to verbally report the incident to his or her supervisor within six hours and prepare and file a written report within 48 hours of the incident.

Police Statistics and Transparency Act (S.1830-C/A.10609)

The Police Statistics and Transparency Act - or STAT Act – requires:

• courts to compile and publish racial and other demographic data of all low-level offenses, including misdemeanors and violations.

• police departments to report any arrest-related death to the Department of Criminal Justice Services and to submit annual reports on arrest-related deaths to the Governor and the Legislature.

Providing Medical and Mental Health Attention to Individuals in Custody (S.6601-A/A.8226)

This new law requires police officers, peace officers and other law enforcement representatives and entities to provide medical and mental health attention to any individual in custody. Police can be liable for damages for anyone who does not receive medical attention and suffers a serious physical injury or has their injury exacerbated by the lack of care.

These cases were drawn from the NYCLU website - Racial Justice 

Broadway Triangle Community Coalition v. Bloomberg

DECEMBER 4, 2017

NAACP Spring Valley v. East Ramapo Central School District

NOVEMBER 16, 2017

Charles v. City of New York (Challenging unlawful arrest of NYC resident for filming stop-and-frisk encounter)

JANUARY 3, 2013

Peoples v. Fischer (Challenging policies governing use of solitary confinement in New York's prisons)

JANUARY 3, 2013

Ligon v. City of New York (Challenging the NYPD’s aggressive patrolling of private apartment buildings)

APRIL 17, 2012

Ithaca City School District v. State Division of Human Rights (Arguing that state Human Rights Law covers school districts)

MARCH 8, 2012