Police Misconduct

Police brutality and misconduct has become an all too common occurrence across our country, but it is just now getting the attention it deserves. For years, innocent New Yorkers have been subjected to unfair, discriminatory, and hurtful practices that jeopardize their rights. One would think that the magnifying glass that is currently hovering over the issue of police brutality would deter officers from acting in an unjustifiably violent fashion, but this sadly isn't the case. You don't need to look outside of our city for an example. Mere weeks ago, two New York City police officers took...

The New York Police Department will no longer be able to hide records of officer misconduct from the public. The state’s governor recently signed into law a bill repealing 50-a, a decades-old policy that let police departments keep discipline and misconduct records secret. This repeal was effective immediately upon its signing on June 12, 2020, and was brought forward as part of a larger law enforcement reform package. “We know this isn’t a cure,” said one of the state senators behind the repeal bill. “We know that this is the beginning, but it’s a move to bring justice to a system that has...

Being stopped by the police can be overwhelming and alarming which is why it is essential for anyone stopped by police officers to be familiar with their rights. By being familiar with  their rights, those who have been stopped by police will have the knowledge they need to  protect themselves in a difficult situation. Citizens in New York have important protections and rights when encountered by police including: The right not to speak to police officers – when an individual has been stopped by police, they are not required to answer questions the police ask them and in New York are not...

Recent events have raised concerns about police discipline all across the country. New York City has seen its share of police misconduct cases, including cases resulting in one or more deaths. A key difference between the Floyd case and analogous New York cases is the fate of the officers’ disciplinary records. In Minnesota, the records are public; in New York, the records are confidential. The key statute is Sec. 50-a of the New York Civil Rights law. This statute says that “all personnel records used to evaluate “performance . . . or promotion” shall be considered to be “confidential and...