NYPD over-policing claims put leaders in hot seat at NYC Council hearing
NEW YORK -- Claims of over-policing against the New York City Police Department took center stage at Monday's City Council hearing, where some of the department's top leaders were on the hot seat.
The Public Safety Committee's oversight hearing examined the NYPD's use of stop-and-frisk and compliance with the How Many Stops Act. The City Council passed the HMSA and Mayor Eric Adams vetoed it, but then the council voted to override it.
A report from the NYPD federal monitor found cases of officers underreporting stops and failing to properly categorize them.
Personal stories of being singled out were shared with the committee. Samy Feliz is the brother of Alan Feliz, who was shot and killed by an officer during a car stop in 2019.
"I am also a New Yorker who is regularly stopped because of my parents and the color of my skin," he said.
"An officer must have a reasonable suspicion the persons committed a felony or is about to it commit a felony or misdemeanor offense," Councilman Yusef Salaam said.
Police department officials said compliance is strong, while critics told committee members 30% of stops are not properly documented.
"Let's say you've got a description of a perp and you stop a person who fits that description. It's not an exact science," Councilman Robert Holden said.
NYPD critics rally for police reforms
Community members took to the City Hall steps before the hearing in a push for various police reforms, as debates over a lack of transparency by the department and claims of over-policing rage.
"We urgently call on the City Council to abolish the NYPD's gang database, a tool that perpetuates racial profiling, criminalizes communities of color and undermines trust in law enforcement," Mylana Gerard said.
Members of the G.A.N.G.S. Coalition, Legal Aid Society, Bronx Defenders and more, said they want police officers to create safer communities without improper, abusive and discriminatory tactics, some allegedly stemming from stop-and-frisk.
The city's top uniformed cop, Jeffrey Maddrey, and Michael Gerber, the deputy commissioner of legal matters, defended NYPD.
Critics say there is no denying numbers provided by the NYPD show officer interactions on every level disproportionately impact black communities. And that, they say, must change.