Tish’s plan to build trust between cops and public

ALBANY — After poring over hours of testimony from demonstrators and a testy exchange with NYPD brass, New York Attorney General Letitia James recommended a slate of police reforms Wednesday as part of her ongoing probe into clashes between cops and protesters.

James, whose investigation was prompted by criticism of NYPD tactics and violent encounters caught on video during the protests in the wake of the death of George Floyd, called for structural changes at the department as well as new oversight and accountability.

“While our investigation remains ongoing, after 30 days of intense scrutiny, it is impossible to deny that many New Yorkers have lost faith in law enforcement,” James said. “We must bridge the undeniable divide between the police and the public, and this preliminary report, and the recommendations included, is an important step forward.”

The 57-page report concludes that the public must have more oversight of department policies, structure and leadership and recommends a “redesign” of the disciplinary system for officers.

James, who enlisted Barry Friedman, founding director of the Policing Project at NYU Law School, and former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch to assist in the probe, also recommended boosting accountability and transparency by establishing a commission to oversee the NYPD and strengthening the Civilian Complaint Review Board.

“We must change the existing structure of the NYPD, which gives the police commissioner unilateral authority,” she said during a conference call with reporters. “The NYPD should report to the people it serves.”

Any oversight body must have statutory powers to address misconduct and James said there “must be clear, carefully calibrated standards for the use of force with real consequences for violations.”

“Police should be prohibited from employing such a disproportionate response and be prohibited from using deadly physical force where there is no use or imminent use of severe physical force or deadly force,” according to the report.

Last month, dozens of witnesses recounted incidents of violence and excessive force used by officers on peaceful protesters during demonstrations against police brutality that erupted in the wake of the killing of Floyd, a black man who died after a Minneapolis cop knelt on his neck for nearly eight minutes in late May.

Gov. Cuomo tasked James with probing the NYPD’s response after videos of cops pepper-spraying protesters indiscriminately and shoving peaceful demonstrators to the ground went viral.

So many people submitted testimony to James’ office that the AG had to add a second day of virtual hearings to accommodate the flood of requests. NYPD brass initially did not respond to a request to appear, but Commissioner Dermot Shea later testified, defending the actions of officers caught on tape.

According to the report, between May 28 and June 7, a chaotic week that saw spates of violence as police cars burned and looters ransacked stores across the city, the NYPD made more than 2,000 protest-related arrests.