Tomorrow, the New York City Council will rush through a vote to override Mayor Adams’ veto of Intro. 586, aka the “How Many Stops Act.” This bill will require police officers to document every investigative interaction they have with the public, of which there are approximately 3.2 million per year.
At a time when public safety is still a significant concern, further handcuffing our police is probably not the best idea in the world. Crime is still up from pre-pandemic levels, and proudly proclaiming New York as the “safest big city in the world” does nothing to ease the anxiety of New Yorkers – especially those in the Asian American and Jewish communities.
Ironically, in the name of “racial equity,” this bill will endanger these vulnerable communities the most.
In the last few years, Asian Americans and Jews have been subjected to unprecedented levels of discrimination, hate, and physical assaults. In 2021, hate crimes against Asian New Yorkers rose an alarming 361%, from 28 instances up to 129.
An AP-NORC/AAPI data poll shows 1 in 3 Asians and Pacific Islanders faced racial abuse in 2023. Hate crimes against Jewish New Yorkers, historically higher than every other group, saw a frightening uptick this past year. The city’s overall triple-digit increase in hate crimes, was fueled by a spike in anti-Jewish incidents since the massacre in Israel took place on Oct. 7, 2023.
According to October 2023 data released by the NYPD, 69 out of 101 hate crime incidents which the NYPD recorded were anti-Jewish incidents, up from 22 out of 45 incidents in October of 2022.
Common sense dictates that one of the best ways to combat hate crimes is through competent and effective policing, which includes responding swiftly to incidents.
Transparency in the police department is necessary — but policing can be neither competent nor effective nor swift if we consistently overburden officers with completing forms, whether online or on paper.
Officers…
Read the full article here
