Gov’s justice reforms Plan comes in wake of disturbing vids, must wait for pols’ return

Gov. Cuomo vowed to push a four-point criminal justice reform program Saturday including a ban on police chokeholds and classifying racially motivated fake 911 calls as hate crimes.

Denouncing caught-onvideo acts of police brutality, Cuomo said the state would also move to make police officers’ disciplinary records public and declare the state attorney general as a prosecutor for police involved deaths.

“We want New York to be the progressive leader on these issues,” he said.

He said the new measures would be taken up by legislators when they return to Albany.

The governor praised Buffalo authorities for moving quickly to charge two officers with assault after they were seen shoving an elderly protester to the ground.

“A bad police officer is the enemy of all good police officers,” Cuomo said, shrugging off the possibility of a police exodus.

Cuomo spoke as the daily coronavirus death toll dipped again to just 35 people, the lowest total in two months. Hospitalization and infection rates also continued to drop.

“There is no state in the nation that went from where we were to where we are,” he said.

The city is preparing to start the first stage of the reopening process on Monday. That will include manufacturing and construction, along with retail stores opening for pick up items only.

With more people expected back on the subways, the MTA has stockpiled 1 million masks and 500,000 two-ounce bottles of hand sanitizer to keep riders safe.

As the pandemic’s impact continues to wane, Cuomo said houses of worship in upstate regions that are already in phase two of reopening can open faster than anticipated.

Churches, synagogues and mosques in those areas will be permitted to open immediately to 25% of their usual capacity.

Cuomo said some religious leaders are complaining to him that they would now have to deliver the same sermon four times to reach their flock.